Forces Banding Together
by Kirabaros
Summary: Things are moving along as the people of Jericho try to survive in the aftermath of the bombs. Things come to a head when the mayor falls sick and the town is in danger of being overrun by a mercenary group. Jake and Sari take the lead in the continuing struggle to survive and protect Jericho.
1. Chapter 1

**Forces Banding Together**

 **Chapter 1**

The day was pleasant and cheerful as children ran through the street, some carrying decorations and chasing each other. The adults were getting ready for Halloween setting out the pumpkins and the hay bundles. Sari couldn't help but smile as she walked through the street, taking in the sights. She remembered this being one of her favorite times of the year.

It was her, Jake, Emily and Stanley that would run around and trick or treat. It was she and Jake that dressed up as one thing and then change costumes. It was surprising for her since she was the goody two shoes then. People said that Jake was a bad influence on her bur Sari didn't see it that way. Rather he was probably the best influence she ever had in her life… at least to how she made her decisions now.

Taking in a breath, Sari continued on her walk as she adjusted her belt and the gun in its holster. She checked to make sure that her deputy badge was on it as well before stepping up the pace. It wasn't exactly what she envisioned doing when she got back from over there and took over guardianship of her younger half-sister but… Jericho needed law and order and with Mayor Green not feeling well and no sheriff and down to Jimmy and Bill… She was hired on to help maintain law and order and while Eric was nominally in charge, Bill and Jimmy took their lead from her.

It was different from the town she left behind since people were looking to her and Jake. She knew though what it was like to be depended upon. She had seen a lot of it when she was with her old unit. She paused a moment to think about them and wondered if they made it out okay. At least they weren't in the states but they were probably worried sick about their families. And she couldn't contact them at the moment. It was difficult enough to keep what she had kept secret for the past month a secret.

When the EMP took out everything with a circuit board, she knew that she would have to be circumspect with her equipment. Her PDA phone was one such thing and the other secret she kept in the basement of her home. It was something she hated herself for since she wasn't sure who was friend and who was foe and it hurt to suspect someone from Jericho. And it was hard because she trusted people from that town like the Green brothers and Stanley. That was the challenge in order for her to keep to her last set of orders.

She was supposed to listen and learn what she could. That she did getting involved with the various projects in town like trying to find information heading towards Wichita. Another was when the man Victor came into town with radiation poisoning and they found those twenty or so people from Denver. Other things popped up like the fires and Sari helped out where she could and mostly to give some semblance of order.

 _Just like the Al-Sharif_.

Sari brushed aside her memories of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as she entered the jail getting ready for work. She walked in just as Jimmy told their prisoner to knock it off and he asked, "Where's Jake? You better go get him, cause when Jonah comes for me…"

"He's gonna what?" Sari walked in and looked at Mitch Cafferty. She had her hands on her hips as she stared at the man that stole the Green horses and nearly killed Gail Green. As much as she wanted to beat the crap out of him, she knew that there had to be some measure of law and order. As Gail Green said, she was the half that tempered Jake. She stared at him and asked, "He's gonna want to have a little conversation with him?"

Mitch looked at Sari. He remembered her five years ago but she was different then. Now there was something else standing in front of him and it was… He looked at her with a firm expression, "You know that if Jake isn't here, it's going to make things a whole lot worse. Though he might settle talking to you Sari."

Sari looked at Mitch. She knew that Jonah would want to talk to her. There was a lot of baggage from five years ago and no matter what Jake did, it wasn't squared away. She had a part in that and she was going to pay the price. She kept her hands on her hips as she replied, "If he wants to talk it will come to that but don't go making threats… if that's what you call it."

"You know what'll happen, Sari. You can't run from it."

"I don't plan on running and I never run."

Mitch scoffed at that, "Really?"

Sari glanced at Jimmy before reverting her full gaze back to Mitchell. She studied him and thought about her options. They weren't many but they had a few. It was just a matter of taking it up with Eric and she knew that she was going to have to have a word. She looked at Jimmy and turned to leave while telling him in a low voice that she was going to see the deputy mayor. It sounded silly to be formal but it helped.

Jimmy gave a nod and moved to fix things just as Mitch said, "Then you all better get ready. Especially you Sari. He'll come for you."

"Whatever," Jimmy replied, "Just keep it down in there." He closed the outer door to the cell. He took a moment to look at the prisoner before turning to go about his day.

Sari, in the meantime, heard everything that Mitch said and knew that everyone within earshot did. She didn't give it her attention since that would show that it bothered her when in truth that it did. It was no secret that Jonah had tried to recruit her to his gang because of her brains. Jake kept her out and ended up taking her place and she begged him to leave. She swallowed whatever her thoughts were and continued about her business. Eventually she was going to have to address things with Eric since he was the acting mayor.

"Don't let it bother you."

Sari looked up from her paperwork and saw Bill looking at her with a slight smile. She smiled back, "I'm not. But thanks Bill."

Bill studied Sari as she bent over the paperwork that she had taken upon herself. In truth he was glad that she was helping out. He was just surprised that she was on the force and willing to get her hands dirty. He remembered her being a nice girl but he figured that wherever she had been the last five years had her pick up a few things. One of them was being able to bring a sense of order to places. She took over the Sherriff's office and had it running smoothly despite the problems that had been occurring. She dispersed resources as best as she could with what she had and folks seemed to be more agreeable.

Bill knew that she had her sister to look after and she was jumping in and helping for the town. As far as she knew, she didn't owe the town anything. And yet she was here. He smiled slightly and asked, "So… do you have anything planned for Halloween?"

"Just working," Sari replied as she finished a report. She didn't know if there was a purpose for it but… "Ryan though will be having fun with the carnival."

"You don't have to work you know," Bill countered. "You've done enough these last few weeks."

Sari turned and looked up at Bill. She saw the concern in his eyes and smiled, "No I don't but… I really don't have anything to do and… kind of not in the mood. Besides someone needs to watch the jail." She grinned and gave a friendly punch to his upper arm.

"You mind if I join you?"

Sari paused a moment to look at Bill. They had an agreement to be friends and that was how it was. For a moment she thought she was mistaken in that but it was Bill and he was a good friend. She nodded, "I could use the company and I'll be near Ryan in any case."

Bill smiled at that and went about his work. "I'll take care of those recent citations."

"Thanks Bill."

Bill couldn't help but smile and went about his work. So far it looked to be an okay day despite what happened in recent days. And he did have to make it up to Sari; he never liked the look of disappointment she shot people's ways when she disapproved heavily. The latest was the whole thing with the guy who died of radiation poisoning. This was a start.

Sari watched Bill and thought about things. True she had been disappointed at his refusal to help but she understood where he came from. He wasn't a bad person. She let it go and went about business as usual. Yet he seemed to be in a mindset to make things up to her. It didn't make sense to her but she let him and it was nice.

She had finished her last file when she heard Bill greet a customer. She looked up and frowned since the tone was anything but customer friendly. She moved to get a good view of who it was even though deep down she knew who it was. Taking a breath she got up from her seat and moved to take care of the situation.

"I'm here to see about posting bail for a friend of mine. Mitchell Cafferty."

Sari didn't see Jake come in but instead made her presence known and greeted their customer, "Hello Jonah."

Jonah shifted to look at the girl that he hadn't seen for five years. She had grown more lovely and she had that hard edge he knew was lurking underneath that schoolgirl appearance. He noticed that she was carrying and she had a badge. He gave a smile, "Sari. Been a long time."

"Apparently not long enough."

Jonah couldn't help but smirk at that. "That any way to greet an old friend?"

"We're not friends, Jonah," Sari replied as she crossed her arms over her chest to indicate that she meant business. "What is your business here?"

"Like I was telling your deputy here," Jonah replied gesturing at Bill, "I'm here about posting bail for Mitchell Cafferty. Are you in charge?"

"I work here," Sari allowed as she stared at Jonah, trying to determine Jonah's intentions. "Just to let you know, these are serious charges that Mitchell faces."

Jonah studied Sari and thought about what he was going to say. "Mitchell is an idiot. You know that and that was stupid for what he did."

Sari waved at Bill to step back. There was no need to bring him into past history. She took a couple of steps forward to assert her position. "That was stupid Jonah."

"And it could have been avoided."

Sari shook her head at that, "I don't think so." She pulled a form and said, "Like I said, these are serious charges and considering that he almost seriously injured Mrs. Green…"

Jonah gave a slight look at that. It was mingled with disappointment but also pleased at her demeanor. "I always knew you were the ruthless one underneath that good girl persona. Look at you now."

Sari stared at Jonah as he gestured at her and eyed her in an appreciative manner. She technically couldn't deny bail but she could make it difficult. She did read up on local law and ordinances. For fun, she once teased Eric about her studying them. Now this was a moment of truth, sort of. She knew that this was a tense situation and it could lead to bad things for the town.

"Hi Jonah."

Sari pursed her lips as she shifted to see Jake standing there. She stared at him with a hard look while Jonah greet him along with, "Always where there's one, there is the other."

Sari kept her gaze on Jake and replied, "It has been a long time." She felt her throat swallow instinctively as she took controlled breaths. She had to keep her cool here even though there was history and it wasn't the most pleasant. She kept it as she commented on the need to talk.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"Sari."

Sari didn't say anything as she turned to walk back into City Hall. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her lips pursed while trying to be calm. Right now she just needed to walk to cool down and to brush off Emily's frustration she had witnessed.

Jake sighed and almost rolled his eyes as he trotted to catch up with her. "Sari," he tried again.

Sari didn't break stride as she replied, "There is nothing to say, Jake."

Jake knew that he was not in the best light with Sari by the very fact that she didn't use the name she always called him by. He sighed again as he reached out to stop her, "There is something to say. Just wait."

Sari stopped the moment she felt Jake's hand on her upper arm. She gritted her teeth to not react like she would if it were Paul since he had grabbed her in a similar manner. She turned to look at him and narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

Jake was taken aback by the look she was giving him and he let go of her. He remembered what he was doing and replied, "What is your problem?"

"My problem?" Sari raised her brow at Jake. She was well aware that they could be overheard but she wasn't going to tread lightly. "My problem is that you completely undermined me." She turned to head to the mayor's office.

"Undermined you?"

"Yes, Jake." Sari stopped and turned to look at Jake. "You undermined me. In case you haven't forgotten I'm a deputy in this town and currently the one that is in charge. It was my job."

Jake looked at her a little confused, "And no one is questioning that."

"No one?" Sari fought to keep her temper. She gestured at him, "It's you Jake. _You're_ the one that is questioning that." She put her hands on her hips as she sighed while staring at him. She shook her head and clicked her tongue on her teeth.

Jake paused and realized what she was getting at. He had only interfered because he knew that Jonah wanted to talk to him and there were scores to settle. As far as he was concerned Sari was kept out of it. He looked at her and said, "I'm not Sari. It was an issue between me and Jonah. It had nothing to do with you."

"It had everything to do with me Jake," Sari countered. She put a hand to her head to take a breath. She didn't want to cause a scene. "He has been after me since he took notice of me."

"And I told him to leave you alone."

"Please, like that would help?" Sari shook her head. "After you left, he approached me. Almost near threatened me."

Jake pursed his lips trying to keep his temper apart from the regret of leaving her behind. He took a breath to release the one he had been holding. "Sari…"

"Don't." Sari held up her hand. She took a breath and said, "I don't disapprove of the deal. I've seen enough of them and made them myself when I was I Afghanistan. If anything it's probably the best thing for this town." She sighed as she turned away and put her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry." Jake realized how it looked once he thought through his actions. He said he was a screw up and here was the proof. Hell he tried to tell his dad about how he always seemed to prove him right in being a disappointment. "I didn't think about that. I thought Jonah was here to cause trouble because of me and with Mitch."

Sari turned back to study Jake. There was a lot that happened that they didn't know about each other. She sighed and gave a slight smile. "I'm not the damsel in distress anymore."

"Never thought you were," Jake replied returning her smile with one of her own. "Made sure of that." He gave a gentle nudge with his knuckle on her chin.

"Please," Sari replied chuckling. She gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "You always had lousy timing, JJ."

"Me? You're the one that waited until the fire did the damage before putting on the waterworks." Jake grinned as he followed her. He was back on friendly footing with her again now that she was calling him by the name she always called him.

"But it worked didn't it?" She turned and shot him a wry look.

"Alright yes," Jake admitted.

They both stopped to look at each other. They smiled and nodded. Finally Jake said, "I really am sorry, princess. But you do know that I got your back right?"

Sari smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Just keep in mind that I can handle myself and a situation. Like I said…"

"Right Afghanistan." He started again before asking, "Where?"

"Where what?"

"Where in Afghanistan?"

"All over. Mostly getting lost missionaries out." Sari knew that she was going to have to eventually tell him a few things. "And holding a village or two. Followed where the orders sent me."

Jake studied her as he put his hand on the door to the office. There were a lot of ways to take that but he understood if she didn't want to say anything. He had a few bad memories himself. "I guess that's why you're the deputy and I'm not. All that Navy training."

"Well you can throw in SEAL school." She gave Jake a look that could be taken any way.

"Not going there," Jake countered once he caught her look. He could press and see if it was the truth but he wasn't. There were some things you had to take on trust and faith. He trusted Sari and he figured that whatever she did, it was her business. He didn't doubt she had military training since he had seen it in her movements this past month as they worked to keep Jericho on its feet.

Sari chuckled at the look on Jake's face. She patted him on the shoulder, "Come on. Let's go and try to convince Eric the logical soundness of this deal."

"I'm leaving that to you."

It didn't take much time to explain the nature of the deal to Eric who listened patiently. Eric paced as he thought about it and then glanced at Sari. He had come to depend on her to lead the Sherriff's office and keep order amongst the appointed deputies. It had at first surprised him when she suggested it but he had seen her in action with the various emergencies and the way she made suggestions of possible courses of action. The decision to make her officially a deputy was fully supported by Johnston Green and a few others so he officiated it. Since then the number of complaints decreased and problems were handled as well as they could be. Looking at his brother he asked, "When is it supposed to happen?"

"Tomorrow morning at 11," Jake answered as Eric walked past him. He then followed him as soon as Sari joined them.

"So we get the food back and Prowse leaves us alone."

"That's what he said, Eric," Sari said as she kept pace.

"Yeah, well see that he does."

"He will Eric." Sari stopped Eric in the hall. She glanced around and lowered her voice. "Look guys like Jonah, they may be not the kind you bring home to dinner but when he gives his word and makes a deal… he keeps it."

"And you know this how?" Eric looked back at Sari. He wasn't sure how he felt about Sari knowing this.

"Let's just say that I've had experience dealing with this kind of thing. When I was in my unit." Sari cleared her throat slightly, hoping that Eric would just take it at that. She looked at the younger Green brother in the eye with a serious expression.

Jake knew that this could turn into a Q&A session that would waste time. He stepped in, "Either way, I think it's important that we do this." He stared at his brother.

Eric looked at the pair looking at him. Jake he knew what to expect in terms of wheedling and getting him to agree to do something even if it was reckless. Sari was different. True she managed to convince him to let her help him out of a few issues when they were in school but this was different and the candid way she revealed that she had experience in this type of thing… The thing was though in spite of a lot of things, when it came to serious matters, they never bullshitted him. He nodded in agreement, "Okay. I'll run it by Dad."

"All we ask," Sari countered much to the astonished look on Jake's face. She gave a slight look that she knew he would understand. She looked back at Eric. "This is probably better and the best we'll get."

"Hope you're right Sari," Eric replied after a slight sigh.

"Me too," she whispered. Luckily it was too low to be heard since there was a commotion going on. She looked up and saw people heading towards the office. She frowned at that since she hadn't heard anything that was a problem that morning.

"What's going on?" Jake was frowning himself as he followed the crowd. He looked at Sari and saw the look she gave him. He led the way until he was met by Stanley.

"You better get in here."

Sari took the lead and made her way through to pave a way for Eric and Jake. She was ready to handle any problems that may occur since it was her job. She just didn't expect the sight before her and it barely registered that Stanley mentioned that it was Gray Anderson. She looked at the man as he looked up at the three of him and took in the sight. The look on his face told her and the two men she had been talking to previously that he had news and it probably wasn't going to be all that pleasant.

* * *

 **A/N:** Here we are with the sequel to Forces Collide and it seems that Jake and Sari are trying to be of use to Jericho as it tries to survive. Stay tuned for next time on Forces Banding Together...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"I hitched a ride with a supply truck that was running bottled water to a FEMA camp out near Rogue River."

Sari shifted on her feet as she listened to Gray's testimony. The fact that FEMA was still operational meant that some remnant of the federal government was in working order. That would give some hope but she wasn't going to count the chickens before they hatched. She wasn't going to burst any bubbles but she was going to keep an open mind.

"FEMA's running," Eric commented, the relief evident in his voice. "Well that's good at least."

It was good that something was up and Sari noticed it in the people there. She glanced over at Jake and they shared a look. She turned back towards Gray with an attentive look.

"Well about ten miles outside of Topeka, we hit a roadblock," Gray continued after taking a sip of water. "I mean nothing official. Just a couple cars rolled out onto the highway. And as soon as we stopped, it was like…" Gray sighed as he remembered what happened. He continued, "… just came out of nowhere and yanked us out of the truck. I… fought one of them and took off on foot. The driver…"

Sari knew what happened without Gray saying it but she listened anyway. It brought back bad memories and the reality of their situation came crashing down. It was going to be a battle for survival but not just their physical survival. It would be a battle for the town's soul. She shifted on her feet as the rest of the people made sounds at Gray's news about the driver being beaten to death and over a couple of bottles of water.

It was a terrible thing but Sari had seen people kill for less and over things that she thought should have been talked over. She looked over at Jake and knew that he probably had similar experiences. She studied his expression and kept her thoughts to herself over what she saw. It kind of made their fight earlier seem a little petty.

"You guys have any electricity yet, any lights or anything?"

"No," Eric answered, "Some simple circuits are still working, like flashlights and electrical razors, but we pretty much lost everything with a circuit board."

 _Not everything._ Sari took a breath at that. It was probably a tell but no one would pay much mind. Except for maybe Hawkins. She glanced around and spotted him.

She knew that Robert Hawkins was not who he seemed. She found out the day that she raced to try and save Jericho from the fires. It was habit that she had followed Jake up to check the situation once she, Jake and Stanley opened the manual override for the pumps and it was left over from taking point and making sure an area was clear. Jake had the scope but she could see too: Hawkins had a satellite communication to the outside world.

They were caught but there was nothing to do and she figured that Hawkins had approached them when they were at Eric and April's house to determine what they were going to do. It was a game of chicken to determine who would be the first to blink. She followed Jake's lead and there was no mention of it to anyone. That didn't mean that she was going to let it go so easily and she was certain that Hawkins would try to look her and Jake up.

She had put in an inquiry and was waiting for a reply. At the moment Hawkins didn't seem like a threat. Plus he said that if he knew anything, he would tell the mayor. That said more than what she was doing but she was doing the same. It just felt worse because she couldn't tell the people that mattered the most and there was no point in worrying her sister. She studied Hawkins still trying to determine what to make of him.

"What's happening in Topeka?" Bill took a deep breath as he asked the question.

"It's a mess. Nobody knows where the hell the governor is. And the fallout from Lawrence hit 'em really hard."

"They hit Lawrence?"

That had Sari perk up. She knew about the explosion in Denver since that had been easily visible. She knew there were others since Dale lost his mother in Atlanta. About others, they really didn't know and that was why they sent people out.

"Why would they hit Lawrence and not Topeka?"

"I don't know."

It was a good question. Sari shifted and looked at Jake and raised her brow. He made a slight movement with his finger. They would discuss it later but in the meantime it was something to ponder on. She was not an expert on nuclear explosions but she was familiar with blast radius since she had a demolitions expert and had seen a few IEDs. If there were multiple explosions, they would have to be detonated in several strategic places to cover a large area while still providing a few safe havens. That made it sound like someone was making a power play and if there was the possibility of being invaded… Now that sounded ridiculous.

Brushing away thoughts that borderlined crazy Oliver's, Sari asked, "What about any other major cities? New York? DC?"

Gray shifted and noticed for the first time Sari. He had hardly paid attention to her initially after the bombs fell. This time he noticed the badge and the gun strapped to her waist. That was an eye opener since he remembered someone completely different. He looked at the solemn stare and replied, "Oh they didn't get New York."

"New York made it?"

"Yeah, well after 9/11, they got pretty good at security and apparently NYPD caught three guys right before they flipped the switch," Gray replied with a slight chuckle marveling how one major city managed to escape the nightmare. "They had a rented van, a 20-kiloton bomb in a steel drum."

Sari was listening intently but she was also watching Hawkins since he was the one that asked the question. She noted his reaction. While most might not make much of it, she was making note of it. No doubt he was watching her so it was a tit for tat thing. Still, she had the feeling that Hawkins knew more than he was telling and it was an issue of trust as well as not creating panic.

"And what about DC?"

Gray was silent for a moment before answering Jake's question, "It's gone."

That had Sari blink at that. That meant that the chain of command was compromised unless they had the succession secured. That was moot though. Her concern was for the members of her unit. Some of them lived in DC and the surrounding area. Before she left, there was talk of plans for long overdue R&R. If they headed back… She felt her throat convulse in trying to keep her emotions in check. It was hard to swallow and everyone was in various states of shock over the news.

It took some time to allow the news to be digested and Sari went about her job making sure that things were running like they should. She gave Jimmy directions and handed paperwork to Bill. Sometimes having a bit of normalcy helped.

"Seems like things have changed Sari."

Sari turned to see Gray looking at her. She wasn't surprised that he didn't notice her previously. It was the story of her life unless they remembered five years ago. She gave a polite smile, "Well I'm not a kid anymore, Gray. And I wanted to help."

"I see. Deputy."

"College degree is good for something right?" Sari knew she was telling but not sharing. It was probably rude but she didn't feel the need to justify things or explain unless necessary. "I was asked and hired on. I needed a job since I am honorably discharged."

Gray looked around. He noticed the way how Jimmy and Bill followed her lead at times. "Well seems like you got things under control here."

"Just needed some organization and we're doing the best we can." Sari shifted to view the jail. "If you'll excuse me, I need to check on the prisoner."

"Who is it?"

"Mitchell Cafferty."

Gray watched as Sari went about her job. She didn't flinch when Mitch gave her lip. Rather she gave a cold, hard stare and then went about her work. He overheard her talking to Bill about bail for the prisoner and to be ready. He cornered her and asked, "He's getting bail?"

"As a citizen, yes," Sari replied. "He's entitled to it as much as anyone here."

"But it's Mitchell Cafferty."

"Is there a problem?" Sari put down the file folder and looked at Gray. She wasn't going to tolerate a second questioning of her authority. Also, she had a listening ear and would listen if there was a problem with how she was doing things. It would be analyzed and changes would be made if necessary.

"Yeah, it's Mitchell Cafferty," Gray pointed out. "You know what he's like. What does Eric have to say about it?"

"He is not going to prevent it," Sari replied. "To do so is a violation of civil liberties." She folded her hands on top of the folder she had been carrying and looked at Gray with a look that dared him to challenge her assertion of the law.

Gray scoffed at that. He couldn't believe that, "You can't be serious. You of all people…"

"If there is a problem, I suggest you speak to the deputy mayor. He can explain the considerations for the bail," Sari offered in a polite tone. "If you like, I can personally escort you, Mr. Anderson."

Gray looked around and then at Sari. He knew that she was serious and he couldn't argue with her especially since she was essentially in charge of the Sherriff's station. He noticed that Bill had been watching the whole thing and silently when back to work. He nodded, "Fine. Please."

Sari nodded and then led the way to the mayor's office and knocked. She waited until Eric opened the door and explained, "There is a concern about the bail posting for Mitchell Cafferty."

Eric took in the professional air that Sari was exhibiting. He knew that she was much more friendly and sometimes informal if it called for it. This was a different ballgame. He realized that she was taking the situation seriously and relaying that things could be rocky. He nodded and let Gray in and asked her to stay.

Sari walked over to where Jake was and took a position next to him. He shot her a look that basically asked her if she had to make things difficult. She gave her silent reply back while Eric explained the tenets of the deal. She caught the barest hints of a smile.

"Are you out of your mind? You made a deal with Jonah Prowse?"

Jake knew that the plan would have opposition but it was still the best deal. "Yeah, Mitch for the food and Jonah stays out of Jericho. Why?"

"Because you can't make deals with guys like that," Gray countered. No wonder Sari didn't say anything.

"Wait a minute. We talked about this," Jake spoke up flabbergasted how this was taking a turn. "We agreed."

"I beg to differ," Sari spoke up the moment Jake did and stepped forward. She waved her hands in a soothing gesture to keep people from getting upset. She faced Gray and continued, "But you can make deals with guys like Jonah."

Gray waved his hands in a dismissive gesture, "I know about Prowse. He hauled materials for Stevens before I came into the mine. He was stealing five percent off the top, intimidating suppliers. The guy did four years at Lansing for extortion and assault. You want to negotiate with that guy? Do you, Sari since you are responsible for law and order?"

Sari crossed her arms over her chest, letting Gray make his argument. She looked at Eric when he sided with the man. She didn't want to make it known but it seemed now it was the time. She took a breath and said, "You want the truth? The truth is that yeah, I want to make a deal."

Gray started to say something but Sari cut him off, "When I was in Afghanistan, my unit had a job. We had to secure and protect friendly villages to pave the way for supply trucks. Apart from IEDs we had issues with bandits. We made friends, allies if you will. They may not have liked each other but they worked with us. Especially with evacs."

"With all due respect, Sari," Eric replied softly, "This isn't Afghanistan."

"No but it is very much like the conditions over there," Sari replied as she rolled a look in Eric's direction.

"And what about clearing this with Dad?" Jake looked at Gray and his brother. It was a surprise to hear a bit more about what Sari did in her time in the Navy. True she gave bits here and there but like other veterans, the things seen and done were difficult to talk about. He could tell that she had made some tough calls.

"Look, no disrespect to your father or to you Sari, but neither of you have been out there." Gray gestured towards the window, "I've seen what happens when people lose their hold on law and order. You start striking bargains with the bad guys, it's the beginning of the end."

Sari rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Jonah is not the bad guy in this case and we are not losing our hold on law and order." She took a couple of steps forward. "This… bargain… it will only ensure security for us. Jonah has one very damned good reason to not want this town harmed and he will be willing to work with us. And unfortunately Gray the lines are blurred, especially out there and tough calls have to be made."

"And what do you know about it?"

Sari narrowed her eyes. Jake recognized the look having just received it earlier and he knew Eric was familiar with it but Gray, Jimmy and Bill had no clue. He watched as she adjusted her stance and replied, "Because I made them and a call like this is the reason why I'm still standing here today." She pointed at the ground to emphasize her point. "Unfortunately we are going to come across options that no one is going to like and in the end we may have to go with the least detestable choice. Better the devil you know than the one you don't." Her voice became lower, "And do not assume I don't know what it is like out in a war zone. Gray… you haven't seen nothing. Nothing."

Jake stepped in before voices could be raised, "Look everyone, just calm down, all right? We need food more than we need to keep Mitchell Cafferty." He was hoping the line of logic and the immediate problem would be addressed. He looked at everyone in the room as he continued, "Now I'm supposed to make a trade with Jonah in an hour. If I go out there empty handed, I don't know what he's gonna do."

"The consequences are going to come down on Jericho," Sari interjected. She was done playing nice with this.

"It doesn't matter," Gray countered, "Because he'll know that we won't roll over for him." He watched Jake's reaction and continued, "Look Jake, we either hold this territory or we don't."

"And we won't if we go back on our word," Sari countered. Her voice was calm and low and anyone familiar knew that it was dangerous territory.

"Gray's right," Eric cut in.

Sari shook her head in disapproval. Jake knew that she was very upset and looking at Bill and Jimmy, he knew they saw it too. They weren't going to say anything since she was in charge but it was clear that they weren't sure of what to think at the moment. He himself thought that the refusal was bad and it was going to bring down repercussions down on the town.

"And what does that say about us as a town?"

"That we won't roll over," Gray asserted.

"No," Sari replied, pointing in Gray's direction. "I know very well that there is a grapevine going on. Word will get out that we make deals and welch on them. If anything that makes us the ones not to be trusted."

"The decision is final," Eric entered in firmly. He met Sari's glare head on. Maybe she and Jake were right but they really couldn't be making deals with the like of Jonah. "The trade will not be made and that's the end of it."

Sari looked at Eric and noted his expression. This was a lost battle and she feared that it would bring worse. She shook her head. "Alright. He'll remain in my cells."

Jake let out the breath he had been holding in. He was relieved that she wasn't going to keep it up but he was concerned that she was going to alienate people. He whispered her name and was relieved when she stepped back. He nodded at his brother and let Sari go out first with Jimmy and Bill following.

He waited until they were in a place where they wouldn't be overheard and pulled her aside, "Can you tell me what the hell you were thinking?"

"Doing my job."

"Sari." Jake stared at her with a firm look but it was full of concern. "That was not doing your job. You were practically arguing with Eric and Gray and you looked like you wanted to take them on."

Sari studied Jake as he looked at her. She saw the concern in his eyes and it puzzled her a little since it was different from previous looks of concern. She sighed and took a breath before replying, "JJ, what they want to do is not going to end well. If we don't make the trade for Mitch, Jonah will take him by force. You know it and I know it."

"And arguing is not going to win your case."

"And you know how much I dislike being presumed not to know anything," Sari countered as she leaned against the wall. She put a hand on her forehead.

"Well they know you know things," Jake joked slightly and gave a slight smile. He was rewarded with a slight one from her. He had to ask, "Did you really do what you said?"

"What do you think?"

Jake took in the look she gave him. He knew she was being serious and she was not lying. "So you didn't do the Peace Corps thing."

"I never said I actually did." Sari looked away as she thought about things before looking back and continuing, "We did do a bit of humanitarian work but it was like what I said in there." She watched Jake make a face and then start to pace a little. She was a bit puzzled that he looked put out by her revelation. She said, "I am not going to spend twenty minutes trying to justify my actions to you. I never asked you to do that."

"But you just admitted to making deals like this. Think about how that translated?"

"Much like anything I say about what I did the last five years could be translated." Sari straightened up. "I know what it's like to live in a war zone. I went where I was told to and did what I did and yes, I did have to make alliances and it is true. It is better with the devil you know and it is because of that it's the reason why I am standing here arguing with you instead of prepping to head out to meet Jonah."

Jake shot a look at Sari, "And I get that. Really I do but arguing won't get your case heard."

"And neither will letting the old prejudices cloud their judgement."

It became quiet between them after that. Sari knew that it was starting to dig up old wounds but it had to be said. She took a breath and conceded, "Look, maybe I overreacted but understand something JJ: I am trying to protect this town. I think that this is just the beginning of something more and I want us to be prepared."

"And so do I."

The pair looked at each other silently. Jake realized that he hadn't really let Sari grow up in his mind. True he had seen it since she came back but deep down he still saw her as someone to look after even after she started coming into her own person. He knew she had taken risks to warn him of that night and tried to prevent it and then she left and faced danger every day. It had him concerned that it changed her beyond what she showed to everyone but he was proud of her.

"So are we good?"

Jake didn't need to be asked twice. He reached out and grasped her hand. "Always. Partners."

"Partners," Sari replied with a slight smile.

"Still coming?"

"He asked for both of us and I am in charge in terms of law and order." Sari couldn't help but grin at Jake. She swallowed a little and added, "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about," Jake quickly corrected. "To be honest I almost was looking forward to you punching out Gray and tackling Eric."

"Saving that for the football game," Sari replied with a grin.

Jake grinned as he watched her walk back to the office. He put his hands on his hips before going to get the ride he was going to need to go meet Jonah. He didn't like what was going to happen when they showed up and had nothing to trade. He only hoped that Jonah would behave himself as Sari asserted that he would.

He headed out and ran into Ryan helping set up for the carnival. He paused and watched as she put a couple of decorations out and pursed his lips. He turned and went to go see about the transportation.

* * *

 **A/N:** Gray Anderson is back and looks like Jericho may need to strike a deal with Jonah. Keep watching for more Forces Banding Together...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Sari's changed."

Bill looked up from his paperwork and caught Jimmy watching Sari as she was checking a few things and getting ready to go meet Jonah. He took a moment to look at her as he thought about what had transpired in the mayor's office. "She has," he agreed.

Jimmy continued to watch but in a thoughtful mood. He had seen what had transpired and while it was a bit shocking… it had him thinking. "You really think… you think she…?" He looked at Bill.

Bill knew what Jimmy was asking about. He could hardly believe that Sari had been a soldier. It didn't seem like her since she was always a bit of a goody two shoes and she didn't like confrontation over much. True she did have a backbone when the occasion called for it; she did defend him after all but that… "I don't know," he admitted, "Maybe."

"But I always thought she went to do some humanitarian work. That was more her thing," Jimmy pondered, "She did lead that food drive one year."

That was true. Bill remembered that. "Yeah. Well we were probably wrong."

"You know it makes sense."

"What does?" Bill looked up from his paperwork to look at Jimmy.

Jimmy turned to look at Bill. "All of it," he admitted, "The way she took charge with Jake helping out the town. Yeah she would do it but she seemed more decisive and more like a cop." He looked at her while she was in her office. "And I like it."

Bill frowned at that, "You like that she argued with Eric and Gray and looked like she wanted to punch them out?"

"I don't agree with that but I like the fact that she argued her reasons and while probably dangerous… it does have…" Jimmy gave a slight shrug of his shoulder.

"So you're saying we should make the deal?"

"No but… maybe that is something we should consider." Jimmy shifted on his feet and looked at Bill. "And I for one feel comfortable that Sari brings up the point."

Bill would have said something but at that moment Sari came out of her office with a file folder and put it in the basket. They both straightened up and pretended to work. True they liked working with her, they weren't about to cross her, not after what they had just witnessed.

Sari took in the scene as she put on the suit jacket she had worn. She gave a slight smile since she was certain that they had been discussing what had just happened. No doubt the town would be buzzing about it if someone had to gossip. Secrets of a small town; no one really had them unless you were good about it. She smiled and said, "I'm heading out."

"You sure you don't need backup?" Jimmy looked up from his work to look at her.

Sari took the opportunity to check her weapon. Since she was the law, she could carry it and while it was probably futile going to meet Jonah… it did establish something and she was representing the town. "No but thank you Jimmy. Jake will be going too."

"You sure that's wise?" Bill raised his eyes to meet hers. He was probably challenging her decision but…

Sari looked at Bill. She could see that he was wondering how she would react. True she was upset with Eric and Gray and they both had witnessed it but in truth, if a leader wasn't challenged then how would they know if they were doing anything right? True you weren't going to lease everybody but if the majority agreed that it was the right thing then it was the best one could hope for. She holstered her gun and replied, "Not really but… Jonah made it clear that I was to be there. We have history but I also represent the town. It gives some legitimacy."

"More of that better the devil you know stuff?"

Sari leaned on the counter and looked at the staff. Some were whispering and others were carrying on their work. She looked at Bill and Jimmy and gave her answer, "Probably. And if there are negotiations made on Jericho's behalf it only makes sense that a representative is there. I represented the United States when I made my deals in Afghanistan to ensure troop safety. Sometimes it is very blurred and grey. I just hope I make the best decision with the power I am given. It's all any of us can do even if we may disagree on things."

Bill thought about it for a moment and let the words become absorbed. "Just be careful out there Sari." He stood up and walked over to give a pat on the shoulder. "We need you in Jericho. I mean that."

Sari took in Bill's gesture and Jimmy's look. She looked at the rest of the office. "I will. Just hold down the fort until I get back. We still have the carnival tonight." She grinned as she headed towards the door to where Jake was waiting and climbed in.

The drive was quiet for the moment as Sari thought about things and mentally prepared for possible scenarios. She refused to admit it but she was nervous at meeting Jonah at the location agreed upon. She had no idea what he was going to do and she was well aware that he had wanted her to join his crew. He made no bones about offering it to her in town when they agreed on time and place.

"It'll be okay, princess."

Sari looked at Jake as he drove. "I hope so cause it doesn't feel like it."

"Come on. If you start showing up like a scared girl you'll never hear the end of it from me."

"And I will so beat your ass, JJ."

They shared a laugh since they knew it would be fairly even though Jake wasn't too sure. He was curious about her abilities since she decided to be a soldier and do what she did. It also relieved the tension he was feeling since Jonah first walked in. There was a lot of baggage there between them and that was probably the only reason that Jonah was talking to them.

They made it and walked to where they were to meet the man. It was then that Jake noticed the gun and pointed out, "Thinking of starting something?"

"Wearing my badge JJ." Sari tapped her badge and looked at him. "Makes it official and I have no intention of drawing my weapon."

"And pray he sees it that way."

Nothing more was said since they say Jonah approaching with his end of the deal. Jake swallowed slightly as he stood there. He stood there as Jonah brought his convoy to a stop and waited for the man to come out. He didn't spare a glance at Sari since she was probably looking at the man in a similar fashion.

Jonah approached the pair, putting his hands in his jacket pocket. "Looks like you forgot someone."

"The town said no to the deal with Mitch," Jake answered. "How can I fix this?"

It was a legitimate question since it was implied that the town was welching. Sari watched standing shoulder to shoulder with Jake. She could see that Jonah was looking none too pleased about this development. She added, "How can _we_ fix this?"

It was a tense moment as Jonah looked at both Jake and Sari before turning around, getting into the car and driving away. Sari pursed her lips and swallowed anything that was on the tip of her tongue. That didn't stop Jake from cursing, "Dammit!"

Sari looked down at the soil and the growing plants. "We did what we could. We asked how to fix things."

"And we got our answer," Jake replied, gesturing angrily at the direction Jonah departed in.

"I know."

"You know," Jake came to face Sari, "You're probably right that things are going to get worse because of this."

"I may have overreacted…"

"Sari, you said it could come back on Jericho and from the looks of things it is." Jake paced angrily trying to think of something.

"And I gave my warning. Now we have to fix things so the collateral damage isn't too severe. And don't take issue with my word choice." Sari held up a warning finger before looking at the sky. "Come on. We have to get back to town and make sure nothing happens or be there when it does."

Jake blinked as Sari started walking back to their ride. He couldn't believe that she had been so forceful earlier and now she was the voice of reason. This was more like the Sari he remembered and it was a sharp contrast to earlier. It was going to take some getting used to and he had to admit she had a point. He sighed and jogged to catch up with her.

"He's going to spring Mitch. That I am sure of," Sari said as she walked.

"The problem is the when."

"Indeed but since it is Jonah…"

"It might be tonight." Jake climbed in the driver's side and waited for her to get in. "You got a plan?"

"Get back to town."

~0~0~0~0~0~

Night fell fast and the Halloween carnival was underway. Bill sat in the empty office with nothing but the light of the lanterns lighting the place while he held the fort. Jimmy was outside passing out candy to the kids with other volunteers. He didn't mind and it left him some time to think about things.

He didn't agree with Sari's suggestion but he knew she was only thinking of the town and he thought Jericho should make a show that they weren't pushovers. He was in agreement with Gray but he also supported Sari. Maybe she did know what she was talking about and it wasn't like she was a liar or anything. And she listened to what he had to say and it surprised him that she agreed that it was probably not a good idea but it was their job.

Bill never lost his feelings for her. He loved her as a friend and she cared about him in the same fashion. And while he didn't understand why she hung out with Jake when they were kids, he knew that she was a good person. He trusted her and he would watch her back. He glanced over at the hall and noted the abundance of people. It looked like things were in full swing. Even Ryan dropped by to say hello and it made the evening lighter.

It was a little boring doing paperwork but there seemed to be more of it since there was an increase in the beginning with complaints that they had to answer to. And it wasn't going to get done if it sat there. So he was going to catch up on it and they would finally be in the black so to speak. So he kept at it until he heard footsteps approaching.

Not looking up, Bill called out, "No candy in here, guys."

At the click, Bill looked up and found a shotgun being pointed at him. He was outnumbered and there were people in the halls. Slowly he raised his hands feeling angry and it was mostly at the fact that he was in a compromising position. It was also the second time that he had been held at gunpoint and it made him angry and he felt like he had been suckered again. Still he had a responsibility and he wasn't going to risk the people in the hall.

 _This must be what Sari warned us about._

Bill stared at the two armed men that he knew were Jonah Prowse's men. He knew that they were there for Mitchell Cafferty and he followed their direction and headed towards the cells. It also had him wondering about Jake and Sari. They had gone out to meet Jonah and if these guys were here, that meant that it probably didn't go over well. What if they lost another sheriff? Yeah she was technically a deputy but she was in charge and might as well have been the sheriff. If Jericho lost another one and then there was Jake…

Bill tried not to think about it too much as he walked over where they were holding Mitch. There wasn't much he could do except to listen to them. He would just have to bide his time and then find out what happened. He glared at the smirk that Mitch was showing as he unlocked the cell and then was unceremoniously shoved in and the door was locked.

He waited until they were hallway down the hall when he shouted, "Gray! Jonah's men just took Mitchell." He pointed at the main hall as Gray started heading towards him, "They headed towards the front."

Gray had been hanging around the office giving a hand here and there and trying to learn more about what Sari ad been doing. He was surprised and annoyed that she had argued with him trying to seem that she had all the answers. It also surprised him that the town put her in charge. As it were, he couldn't find fault with her methods. Even Jimmy vouched for her when he asked.

When he heard Bill shout, he was out and it surprised him that Bill was in the cell instead of Mitch but then it dawned on him what had happened. When Bill pointed in the direction that they went, he took action. He was going to stop this.

Taking one of the rifles from the case, he checked to make sure that it was locked and loaded before heading out to give chase and to take care of Mitchell Cafferty. The town was not going to stand for this. It barely occurred to him that something might have happened to Jake and Sari when they went to meet Jonah. All that mattered was getting Mitch.

Gray made his way through the crowd out the front aware that he was bumping people but all that mattered was his quarry. He increased his pace while shouting at them. Once he was out of Town Hall, he increased his pace since the three men started to run now they were caught. They weren't going to slip away.

When he was clear of people that put them in the open. He could take the shot. Gray raised his rifle and was prepared to fire. He didn't expect to be stopped and felt the rifle being wrenched out of his hand by none other than Jake as he shouted at Gray to stop.

At that moment Gray saw red. All he saw was that Jake was letting Mitch and Jonah's boys get away. He didn't even seem to realize that they now had a crowd turning to watch what was going on. He narrowed his eyes angrily as Jake asked what was wrong with him. He grabbed Jake with the intention to fling him aside and said angrily, "Me? You're letting them go!"

Jake had been wandering around Main Street and observing the festivities while keeping an eye out for trouble. He didn't like the impromptu plan but it was better than nothing. It was luck that he caught Gray giving chase and stopped him from shooting the fleeing men. He dragged Gray to the side grunting, "Instead of what? Starting a firefight on Main Street?"

"I gotta go after them!" Gray was not going to stand there and do nothing.

"Are you out of your mind?" Jake grabbed Gray and kept his hold on him.

"This has got to be answered to, Jake," Gray countered angrily. "What are you gonna turn the other cheek?"

"It will be answered to," Sari's voice entered.

Gray shifted to see Sari approaching him and Jake. She was putting her gun back in her holster and taking hold of the gun in his hand. She took it and held it and repeated, "This will be answered for but not tonight."

"You can't do this," Gray protested.

"I can and I will," Sari countered with authority. "I will not tolerate a firefight while there are civilians here." She stepped closer and added, "Now calm down before I lock you in a cell to cool off and the charge will be reckless endangerment."

Gray straightened up and pursed his lips at the pair. He took a couple of heavy breaths before countering, "And how long do you think you before these guys are back?"

"If we had gone through with original terms, then never," Sari countered. "Stand down Gray."

"Gray," Jake added, "I can talk to Jonah."

"You can talk to… Find him!" Gray had enough of this from Jake and Sari. If they weren't going to do something then he would.

"Hey!"

Two pairs of eyes turned towards Sari as she glared at both of them as she said, "Jonah lived up to his end of the deal. You decided to renege on that. I warned you."

Gray heaved and shook his head, "Why are you two protecting that guy?"

"I am protecting this town as was asked of me and by the oath I took when I took this job," Sari countered.

"And I'm protecting this town," Jake added not liking that he was being accused of protecting Jonah. Maybe it was seen that way but he knew that Jonah had the connections where they didn't. Sari was right in that they were going to need to make the deal with the devil and in this case it was one they knew and that tended to be the better choice. "He can get the things we're gonna need."

"What can he get?"

"Food for starters," Sari said in a quiet tone.

"And he can get gas and ammo," Jake added. "Could you get that stuff if we needed it tomorrow? Could you?"

It was silent for a moment as Jake took a breath. He looked at Gray and noted how the man was still heaving in anger. This wasn't going to be taken lightly. He waited a little bit more for Gray and when the man didn't answer, he added, "Because he can. We do this my way now."

"We're doing it the way that is best for the town," Sari corrected in her calm tone. She looked at Gray with a firm look. "This won't go unanswered, Gray. We will handle this and it will be done with respect for the law and people's rights. I won't tolerate vigilantism meaning no open firing in town limits unless you are an appointed deputy. Mitchell Cafferty will answer for his crimes." She gave one last look at gray before turning to the crowd and announcing, "Alright everyone, show's over. Go back to what you were doing."

Gray watched as Sari shooed the people back to the festivities. He then shot a look at Jake and muttered angrily, "You better be right about this."

"My way, Gray," Jake repeated before turning to go back to the jail.

Gray huffed a bit angrily before heading to follow Jake back into Town Hall. This was not going to go well. It was chaos out there and if they started making deals with the bad guys… He passed by people not bothering to look at them. There was no need to do so since they knew what had happened. He got inside just as Sari was letting Bill out and she was teasing him, "Did you lock yourself in the cell again, Bill?"

Bill managed a smile even though he wasn't in the mood and replied, "I told you that door sticks."

"Well then I'll drag the toolbox out and come and fix it," Sari replied with a smile and patted Bill on the shoulder. She gestured for him to have a seat and have a drink. She pulled out a bottle she had found in the sheriff's office and kept just in case.

"So that's how you plan on handling it? With jokes?" Gray couldn't believe that Sari was making a joke out of things. They just had a prisoner escape and she chewed him out and now she was cracking jokes. What the hell was she doing?

Sari poured Bill a glass of whiskey and handed it to him. "Danger is past, Gray. No one was seriously hurt and I for one find it a reason to actually smile."

Gray scoffed at that and shook his head, "I don't believe this. First you want to make deals with the likes of Jonah Prowse and now you're making light of the fact that you just had a prisoner escape on your watch."

"You don't need to remind me Gray," Sari replied as she poured herself and took a sip of the hard stuff. She wasn't one for drinking but in this case, it warranted it. "I'm just glad that Bill wasn't hurt since he was held at gunpoint and that you didn't fire off a shot in the middle of Main Street. I actually find that humor relieved the tension."

Gray said nothing and stood there as Sari filled another glass. She handed it to him silently with a look that said he should take it or else. He took it but didn't drink it right away. He was still too upset at what had happened.

"I am not treating this like it is nothing Gray. I learned the hard way that if you dwell on something it will just create more problems and you can't do your job like you're supposed to," Sari said in a clam tone.

"And is this more of when you served bullshit?"

"It's not bullshit but yes… It was from my time served over there. Like I said, I've seen things and I know what I am talking about."

"This is different. This isn't Afghanistan. This is Jericho," Gray pointed out.

"I know. Which is why we are doing this differently," Sari put down her glass and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now I don't want to hear another word about it."

Gray looked at her and was tempted to challenge that but decided against it. He was partially reassured when Sari added as an aside that she had no intention of making things difficult for Jericho. He wasn't sure and from what he saw, the town was receptive to her being in charge. He wasn't going to stir up the hornet's nest since she had the support but this had to be kept in line.

Sari watched as Gray left the room and put a hand to her chin to muse a little. She was interrupted when Bill asked, "So are you going to handle it?"

"My intention to." Sari shifted to look at her friend. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Really Sari," Bill replied, waving off her concern, trying to be reassuring. He bore her gaze and admitted, "Just… it reminded me a little of when me and Jimmy were…" He cleared his throat a little.

Sari made a sound in her throat. She wished she had been around to help Bill and Jimmy and wished they hadn't been put through that. It wasn't their fault with those two criminals. "You have nothing to be sorry for on that. You were looking for the school bus and got the prison bus and it was dark. That was a scary night."

"Bet you took it in a stride."

Sari chuckled at that. She took another sip of her drink and leaned on the counter. "Actually I was scared to death. I had JJ with a leg and head injury, Heather with her leg and a little girl that had an emergency tracheotomy and a bus full of scared kids and a situation that I had no idea what was going on." She looked at Bill and gave a slight smile. "I'm not the brave person. I just… I have to be calm. If I'm not…" She shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

Bill took another sip of his drink and watched her. For a moment he saw the shy girl that trembled when she was scared. "If you're not, then no one can stand up for themselves right?"

"Right."

* * *

 **A/N:** Looks like trouble with Mitch escaping and Sari trying to stop vigilantism. Seems like things are going south. Stay tuned for more Forces Banding Together...


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Sari?"

Sari mumbled as she shifted in her bed. She was in the middle of a good dream. "Go away Rye bread."

There was a knock on the door followed by Ryan calling, "It's time to get up. Don't you have to work?"

Sari blew out a puff of air. She opened her eyes and sighed trying not to feel the tiredness from the night before. "Alright you little pest," she called in a slight growl but didn't mean it as she threw back the covers. She got out of bed and walked over to her door and opened it to find her sister standing there with a cup of coffee.

"I made coffee," Ryan offered with a smile. She held up the mug to her sister. She took a look at her sister and asked, "Bad night?"

Sari took the cup of coffee. She took a sip and made a slight face. She wasn't going to complain since they had to ration the coffee. Until she could figure out how to rig up a system for coffee beans, they were in limited supply. It seemed that this batch was on its last legs. "You could say," she replied as she headed towards the stairs.

"So did you catch the guy Mr. Anderson was chasing?"

Sari walked into the kitchen and looked at what she could do to make a decent breakfast. She had made arrangements with Stanley for some of his produce from his place in exchange for services and anything else. He was willing to give it to her for nothing but she wasn't going to be a loafer on that. She would do her part like everyone else. Placing her mug on the prep counter, she went through the cupboard to look for something.

Ryan said nothing but pulled up one of the stools to the prep area and sat there. She knew that Sari would answer her once she thought of something to say. It was something she learned about her sister when they started living together in the house their mother left them. It was not how she remembered her sister and she figured that wherever she had been, she had to make some changes. She loved her sister though and was happy she was home. She place her chin on her hands and waited while Sari finally decided on breakfast.

"Do you mind oatmeal again?"

"No. I guess that is better than the MREs you had to eat huh?" Ryan grinned when her sister turned and shot a look at her.

Sari couldn't help but meet Ryan's smile as she pulled the tub of oatmeal. She put it on the counter and teased, "Actually they are better than the stuff I heard about when I came back."

Ryan laughed at Sari as she hopped down and went to fetch the pot and fill it with water. She pumped it from the pump that her mom had installed more for nostalgic reasons and because she didn't get enough exercise. It took quite a bit of strength to pump enough water for a pot of water. It was why they pumped up several buckets and then filled smaller containers. Ryan checked the pantry designated for water and said, "We're running low on storage."

"Then I guess we'll have to pump more. About how many days?"

"Maybe two."

"Tomorrow then?"

Ryan looked at her sister as she took the container of water. She nodded, "Okay. I'll pump some today too."

Sari paused to look at her sister. She knew that Ryan was capable of a lot of things even though she was twelve. She was sorry that her sister had to grow up faster than she should. Yet everyone had to do their part if they were to survive. "You sure?"

"Come on. I know how to work the pump." Ryan smiled at that. "It'll be okay and you can take a day off and I mean a real day off."

Sari laughed with her sister at that. "But I do take a day off." She turned on the stove to start boiling the water. It was a blessing to have a gas stove and she had a camper stove in the garage just in case.

"Sis, a day off doesn't mean that you go out to Richmond farm to stop Stanley from punching out Bill," Ryan pointed out, referring to the day that Gracie accused Stanley of stealing pesticides. "You might be the law and order but…"

"I know Stanley and Bill," Sari replied as she added the oats. "It wouldn't have been pretty."

Ryan made a sound at that. She had seen quite a bit in Jericho. "It's not like Stanley is the guy you remember. He grew up some."

"And he's still an idiot. Go see if there is a can of fruit like peaches in the pantry. I know you like them." Sari gestured at the cupboard and grabbed her cup of coffee. She took a sip as she watched her sister scour their pantry. "But I will consider the day off."

"That's what you said last week," Ryan said as she returned with a jar of peaches. She put it on the counter so Sari could grab it. "But seriously sis, I know you're the law and order around here now but… you really don't have to fix everything."

Sari took the jar and spooned a few into the bowl she had made for Ryan and served it to her. She sighed when Ryan said that. Maybe she was right but at the moment, all she could see were problems that needed to be addressed. It was similar to when she had to set up a working safe town relatively. You had to work out the kinks before everything ran smoothly. Like a few others, she was like minded in that this was for the long haul.

Ryan took in her sister's silence as she took her bowl and sat down. "I didn't mean…"

"You're right Rye bread."

"What?"

"You're right," Sari repeated as she picked up her bowl. "I don't have to fix everything since there are others but… Someone has to Ryan and…" She sighed since there really was no good way to explain things and it really wasn't fair to her sister.

"Hey," Ryan was quick to drop her spoon. She noticed that her sister had serious doubts about being able to look after her. When it came to family decisions, Sari would seem to second guess herself after making her initial decision. "You're the best and I get it. Really I do."

"Do you?" Sari leaned on the counter. She stared at her sister. "Do you understand what is going on here habibbitti?"

Ryan looked away slightly and swallowed the bit of peach she was eating. She was scared about what was happening. She lost her parents and the day her sister arrived there were explosions and now they were in the situation they were in. Things had changed and maybe she didn't understand it all but… "I know that things have changed and I don't understand everything but… You're doing the best you can and I wouldn't have it any other way." Ryan reached across and grasped her sister's hand and squeezed it gently. "I just want you to realize that you need to take care of yourself too."

Sari smiled back and patted Ryan on the hand. "Don't you worry about me habibbitti. Just be the girl you are and…" She chuckled since it sounded ridiculous to her ears. She sounded like her mom when she was a girl. "You know what, never mind. I'll try to remember that I have people to help. I just want to make sure that Jericho is safe enough for everyone. Especially you." She squeezed her sister's hand and smiled. "You mean the world to me."

Ryan smiled, "You mean the world to me too." She picked up her bow and started again on her breakfast. She watched her sister pick up her bowl and start to eat. She noticed the note on the wall that was a reminder and she thought about what she had seen the night before when they walked home from the carnival. "Yeah and I bet JJ thinks the same."

Sari choked a bit on that. She looked at her sister with an incredulous look. "What?"

"Just saying that you mean a lot to JJ." Ryan shrugged her shoulders as she finished her bowl and put it in the sink. "I noticed that you've done a lot together to help town."

Sari scraped up the last bit of oatmeal and peach. She rubbed her tongue on her teeth as she put her bowl in the sink. "JJ is helping out like I am and we've been friends since before you were born little girl."

Ryan made a sound as she got a drink of water. She knew that. She was just teasing her sister about the special closeness Sari and Jake had. "I know but…" She walked away to let her sister think about it. She did stop long enough to add, "Oh, I'm going to check on Mayor Green and help out."

"You sure about it?" Sari tabled the joke that Ryan made since she wasn't sure about whether or not to take it seriously. True she had been working closely with Jake but it had also been with Eric and other people who needed to help keep things running.

"Yeah. And I know you want to keep up with how Mayor Green is."

Sari couldn't lie about that. She had been concerned since she found out he had flu and was laid up and that was compounded by the fact that the medical center was almost out of drugs necessary to battle major illnesses. That was one thing that was sticking and it was one of the reasons they needed to make a deal with Jonah. Looking at her sister she nodded and waved her off, "Okay. Anything happens, you stay with the Greens. You understand?" She pointed at Ryan to emphasize her point since she was serious.

"I know. And I will."

Sari watched her sister leave and finished her coffee. She had a long day ahead of her and she wasn't looking forward to it. Still she wasn't going to back out even if Jake offered her an out. She had to make this work and make amends. She headed upstairs and went to take a sort of shower before heading out to meet Jonah Prowse again. It was going to be a long day.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Jake looked around as the morning sun started to make its presence known. He would have check his watch but that was pointless since pretty much anything with a circuit board had been fried and the clocks were stuck at 9:02. He didn't like that he was going to have to do this but after trying it Gray Anderson's way, he was trying his way. And he didn't like that Sari was insisting that she go.

He could have argued with her but that wouldn't have solved anything and in the end she was probably right in being a representative of Jericho since it was her job now. He just remembered how it was before they left. So he was going to grin and bear it and right now he needed to find a car that would get them there and back.

Luckily Heather was able to offer some wheels. She offered it willingly once she learned what the purpose of it was for and he accepted it. So here he was at her place. He waited as she opened the garage door to reveal a rather battered looking truck that looked like it had run a marathon and lost. He popped the hood to take a look. "I thought you said you could get me a car. Is this thing gonna die on me halfway out there?"

Heather had to scoff at that, "Charlotte? Not a chance. She's sturdy."

"Well that's a good thing. I'd take sturdy any day."

Heather beamed at Sari as she walked up as she finished pinning up her hair in a messy bun. "Glad you're on my side."

Sari grinned at Heather. She had the girl over a couple of nights for dinner and they had gotten along well. She also learned that she was sweet on Jake and she was willing to extoll Jake's virtues. "Us girls gotta stick together," she replied as she gave Heather a fist bump.

"Great I'm being tag teamed," Jake muttered as he opened the driver's side.

"No," Sari teased as she leaned on the hood. "You're just trying to keep up and failing miserably." She smiled at Jake while Heather chuckled.

Heather chuckled with Sari and noticed that the other woman was taking pleasure at Jake's discomfort. She had been able to get to know Sari the past month and she learned that the woman had a way of putting someone at ease with humor and it was in a way that was not rude but enough to ease tensions. They had become friends and Sari had been willing to answer questions about Jake, never criticizing or commenting meanly about her interest in him.

Heather was glad to be loaning the truck to them. It was the least she could do. Turning her attention to Jake she said, "So, uh, be careful."

"We're only going ten miles," Jake replied, not liking that he was being double teamed and Sari was not going to be on his side this time. Yet he was making an effort to be reassuring.

"I meant with him." Heather paused as Jake started the truck. "I talked to Emily," she admitted. She really was worried for them both.

"Yeah?" Jake shifted to look at Heather. He didn't even realize that Sari had made her way to the passenger side to get in. "What'd she tell you?"

"Enough."

The response had Jake sigh. There was another person who knew exactly the type of screw up he was. This was a town that you couldn't forget and they wouldn't let you forget. He shifted the truck into gear, not really saying anything but he did take in Heather's concerned expression, not sure of how to take it, and took off.

"Well that was smooth."

Jake jumped the moment Sari spoke. He scowled at her, "Could you not do that?"

"Why? You always seemed to like it when I do it."

"Yeah when you do it to someone like Stanley or Bill." Jake made a correction. He shook his head in annoyance since he was driving.

"And that's not why you're angry."

"I'm not angry."

Sari made a slight sound at that. She looked out her window for a moment. She knew why and to make Jake voice it… Finally she said, "Heather is concerned that you might get hurt."

"And I can take care of myself."

Sari snorted at that, "You really are being an idiot like Stanley right about now."

Jake looked at Sari. It seemed that he was on a role for getting into an argument with her this week. Before they had got along well but ever since she took on the job as a lead deputy… He sighed and shook his head.

"She likes you," Sari offered in her quiet manner. She looked out her window as she spoke since staring at each other only seemed to dare them to get into an arguing match. "Idiot."

Jake was silent for the moment as he let her words sink in. He made the turn that would take them on the road towards Jonah's compound. Finally he said, "I just… I just."

"It's about five years ago I know. She asked me about it too."

"And?"

"I told her the truth… what I could. Not chapter and verse." Sari finally dared to look at Jake and added, "And I told her that you're not a bad person JJ. You just made stupid mistakes and you're trying to make amends."

Jake didn't look at her but continued to drive. "Thanks."

They sat in companionable silence as Jake encouraged the truck the ten miles towards Jonah's compound. It was enough to put them on similar footing to get what they needed to be. At one point Sari offered a suggestion that Jake took under advisement. They really didn't know what they were getting into.

~0~0~0~0~

Ryan made the trek towards Gracie's store with something to trade for supplies. She wanted to get something special for her sister since it was a special day. She tucked the bundle under her arm as she walked down the street feeling a little bad since she fibbed to her sister. She didn't want to lie but this was important and she had to make sure that Gracie still had what she needed.

It took her time but she managed to find something that she knew she wasn't going to miss to trade. She asked for help from Mrs. Green and Heather when she came over to dinner the other night. She liked having the woman over and she liked that her sister made a friend that looked like it was going to be a good one. She had to keep her activities as normal as possible since she didn't want her sister to suspect and it was doubly hard since she was being the sheriff of the town.

It wasn't a complete lie since she was going to check on Mayor Green. She knew that Sari had been concerned even though she didn't show it. Her sister was a worrier and it was like she did the worrying for herself and the Greens even though no one asked her too and it leaked out to her job in town. It only proved that her sister was a good person.

Ryan made it into town and her step got an extra bounce as she spotted Gracie's store. She could hardly wait. She was going so fast that she almost didn't see the girl but she still ran into her. She stopped and apologized, "I'm sorry. I should have watched where I was going."

"No it's all right."

Ryan looked at the girl. She looked like her age but she could be older. She didn't recall seeing her in town before and figured that she was one of the refugees. She decided to introduce herself, "I'm Ryan."

"Allison."

"You new in town?"

Allison looked at the girl that was staring at her. She looked similar to the picture of the woman she had seen on her dad's computer but not quite. She looked at the girl and the cover story that she had been rehearsing since she came to Jericho. "Yeah. We moved here before the bombs fell. From St. Louis."

Ryan looked at Allison and smiled, "Cool. Welcome to Jericho. Sorry I didn't get a chance to give you a welcome but with everything going on and my sister coming back… a little crazy, right?"

Allison looked at Ryan and blinked. She gave a tentative smile since she wasn't sure about the girl's sister. Still she couldn't be rude to her. "Yeah. So…" She looked and saw what Ryan was carrying and gestured towards it, "You're making a trade with Gracie?" She shifted a little uneasily on her feet since she wasn't sure about Ryan and how much she knew.

Ryan looked at what was in her arms and then back up at Allison. "Yeah. It's my sister's birthday and I wanted to get her something special. Mrs. Green is making something special for her for when she gets done with work."

"Work?"

"She works at the sheriff's office as the sheriff." Ryan giggled slightly as she continued, "Well technically she is a deputy but people assumed she was in charge. She won't let anything bad happen to our town."

"That's good."

"Well I better go before it gets too late." Ryan smiled and started towards Gracie's store. She paused and turned to look at Allison. "I hope I'll see you sometime. There's always some fun in town despite everything going on."

Allison watched as Ryan went into the store. She wondered if there was something up with her since she was so cheerful and happy. She figured it was because she was from this town. It certainly made sense but still it was unusual. She was a nice girl and maybe she could be friends with her.

Ryan diverted her attention to the shelves. She didn't expect to chat with anyone since it seemed that everyone was focusing on their own troubles. Still it was nice to meet someone new in town. With refugees and other people coming in, she tried to help out and she knew her sister did what she could to make sure that they were welcome and that no one interrogated them like they were criminals.

She entered the store and looked around. She noticed Dylan sweeping the aisles and Gracie was busy with someone else. It didn't matter. She knew what she wanted to get and she and Gracie had come to a price. It was different since what she wanted did have a history to it. That she was certain of since now there was no such thing as money in the world as they knew it. It was all barter and trade.

Walking through the aisles, Ryan pulled a few things that she knew were needed for later and a few things that Mrs. Green had asked for. Finally she stopped at what she had come to get. She looked at it with curious expression before picking it up and heading to start the trade. She paused and smiled at Gracie and said, "Thanks for holding this for me, Gracie."

"You're welcome dear. Now, do you have what we agreed on in terms of price?"

Ryan looked at her bag. She knew that she was giving something away that her father gave her but in truth she never liked it. He had given it to her the day that he turned Sari out of the house. Since then she had regarded it as something as a means of trying to appease her for what he did to the girl that he had never liked for whatever reason. She had forgotten about it until she went through the house looking for something to trade. She found it and made the decision right then and there. Without further demur, she pulled out the expensive jewelry box and put it on the counter, looking at Gracie and replying, "Definitely."

Gracie looked at Ryan and the box. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask where she had gotten it from but all trades were confidential since no one liked an item with a story attached to it. "Are you sure?"

"Yep."

Gracie gave one more look before looking at everything else to make sure that it was what was agreed upon and turned to call for Dale to put the box in the back. She watched Ryan go with a smile and a thanks, wondering how that girl could keep smiling.

Ryan didn't care what people thought. She was just happy, the happiest she had been the last five years and the reason was cause for the surprise that she was in the process of making. It made her smile and it lasted as she made her way to the Green house with her purchases much to the surprise of Mrs. Green. It definitely was a pretty good day.

* * *

 **A/N:** Looks like things are going to get rough as Jake and Sari try to fix things with Jonah. Keep watching for more Forces Banding Together...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Let them go!"

Sari shrugged the offending hands angrily as she straightened up and looked at Jonah. She slapped at a stray hand and gave a glare as if to dare the man to try and disobey Jonah. She looked at the man she had come to see with a firm look. Maybe she shouldn't have been carrying but she had her badge on and the man respected the law to a degree.

Jonah for his part sort of expected that the pair of them would come to try and work out a deal of sorts. It did baffle him since he was well aware that Sari had no reason to like Jericho since she had been kicked out and left without a backwards glance. Jake on the other hand… there was unfinished business there. He walked up to the pair of them and rather than risk any further hostilities, he grabbed Jake by the jacket sleeves and led him away, knowing that Sari would follow. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"A lot of people in town who aren't going to let this stand," Jake replied with bluntness. It was best to get down to business.

"And I can attest to that," Sari entered as she flanked Jonah on his right. "The people are angry and they are talking about coming out here to get Mitch by force if necessary."

Jonah thought it ridiculous what he was hearing. It was ridiculous enough to get him to chuckle as he replied, "Did you ever think anyone would care this much about Mitchell Cafferty?" He shifted to look at the person in question. In all honesty, he was pissed that Mitchell went and did something stupid and caused trouble. He turned to look back at the pair looking at him.

"You don't want it to come to that," Sari pointed out. "I certainly don't and I've done what I can to keep vigilantes from coming out here."

"Finally put those hidden talents of yours to good use," Jonah countered with a slight grin. "Still wish you came to work for me. At least I treated you better than they did."

"And while flattering… not my way." Sari crossed her arms over her chest. "I never approved of what you did. I just didn't know better then." She shifted on her feet to give a stronger stance. She glanced at Jake to give him the floor. She was there to ensure negotiations and be a representative of town since she was hired on there and Jake was the son of the mayor.

Jake pursed his lips before speaking, "I'm… we're here to negotiate."

"Last time we negotiated, it didn't work out so good for me. And you Sari? A lawman negotiating with me?"

Sari narrowed her eyes slightly but maintained her no nonsense posture. "Like I said, I don't vigilantes coming down here. I know full well your capabilities, Jonah."

"Sure you do," Jonah replied grinning at Sari. He liked her spirit. She was a fighter underneath that shy girl routine she employed in the past. When push came to shove, she was something else and a force to be reckoned with. He figured Jake knew that too since he spent most of his time warning him to leave her alone.

"Look, the point is, we're here to negotiate," Jake countered, keeping his cool. For once he was glad that he didn't have his gun on him. He knew that his temper was something to be desired; his mother said that he took after his father in that regard. Years earlier he would have scoffed at that since he wanted nothing to do with his father then. Now… He was glad Sari had always been the calm one but he knew her well enough to know that when the unfortunate victim was in trouble. Her presence there was enough to keep Jonah's guys from doing anything stupid since her badge was clear on her belt. Taking a breath, he continued, "Keep Mitch and keep the food. You can sell the food to the town through Gracie Lee's market and take your cut off the top in supplies we have and you don't."

"Such as?"

It was a start. It didn't mean that it was a done deal but it was enough for Jake to continue. As long as Jonah was listening, there was a chance. He gave the offer, "Fresh water, crops, salt from the mine…"

It was a pretty good offer so far. Jonah though had been in the business long enough to know that to get something, he was going to have to give something. So now it was time to hear what the other half of this deal was. "I'm listening."

"In exchange," Jake proceeded, "you'll guarantee that your… your business stays away from town. And we'll send a trailer to pick up supplies. You don't come to us." Jake figured this last part might push things but given the general feeling in town, it was better that he put that on the table. Sari was right in that she did what she could to keep people like Gray from coming out and starting a firefight. After that conversation, no one thought to question her.

Jonah was well aware that last one was through in more as an appeasement for the town. He really didn't want people with their guns coming out here and start something that was going to get bloody. That and he really didn't want to get on the bad side of Sari. True she was younger than he was but now that she was the law of Jericho… "I'll think about it."

That was good enough for Jake. You didn't want to push a man like Jonah around too hard. Otherwise it could end up bad. He gave a nod to show that he was accepting of that.

"Now let's talk about what I need."

Sari swallowed slightly as Jake shuffled annoyed on his feet. She looked at Jonah, "What is it that you need, Jonah?" She had a feeling that she knew what the answer was but she wanted to have the man voice it out nice and clear so there was no room for understanding.

Jonah looked at Sari. Damn the girl and her perceptions. He liked her but he had forgotten how her perceptions felt when the tables were turned. Yet he knew that she would ask for all details of something until she was satisfied and made her decision. Looking at her, he made his request, "I want to talk to Emily."

"She doesn't want to see you. You know that," Sari replied. Her tone could have sounded harsh but instead it was firm but full of understanding. It was one she used to keep tempers from getting too high and fists started flying. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.

"She blames me for Chris' death." Jonah's expression turned into a sneer as he looked at Jake with thinly disguised contempt. "Things might be different if she knew whose fault it really was."

Jake gritted his teeth. Not this again. "I didn't send him on that job all right? You did. I tried to talk him out of it."

"He needed a lookout, someone to watch his back. You left him alone."

"Chris was warned," Sari butted in. She had her hand in this too. "We both tried to talk him out of it. It was a bad job and you knew it."

"Jake still left him alone."

"A lookout?" Jake shook his head at that. "He needed a father." He was hardly one to be using that card but hindsight is 20/20 at best. How many times had he visited that place the last five years?"

Jonah scoffed at that. Chris' death would always be a sore spot. "Maybe it's about time Emily learns the truth about what you did."

Maybe that would have flown then but Jake knew that he had to confront it. "I told her. I told her everything."

"And did she forgive you?"

"No."

Jonah looked at Jake before looking at Sari and asking, "And what about you Sari? Since you pretty much was running around trying to screw it up… Makes me wonder if that was what you did and if it was the cause of Chris' death."

Sari stared at Jonah. She didn't have a direct hand in that but she still felt guilty all the same. She often wondered if there wasn't something else she could have done to keep things from happening the way they did. It was something she asked herself when she was with her team on the other side of the world. Looking at the man, she replied, "I sometimes wonder that myself. And I was the one to tell Emily what happened then after it happened. She blamed me too and hasn't forgiven me since."

Jonah listened to her speech and gave a slight nod before it turned into a shake. "Then I don't forgive you either."

Jake expected that for him. For Sari… as far as he was concerned, she had nothing to do with it. She warned him and Chris and tried her hand at talking him out of it. But he knew her and she was only trying to make amends.

"Get her to see me, or I'll do business wherever the hell I please."

Sari looked up with a sharp look. "Not if you want to bring the whole of Jericho down on you," she warned. "And I seriously doubt that you want that." She took a step forward to look Jonah in the eye.

Jake moved forward more to keep Jonah from doing anything to Sari. "I can't do that."

"Then I guess we don't have a deal," Jonah replied while continuing to stare at Sari. Maybe it was stupid on his end since he had never known Sari to go back on her word when she gave it. But he had to show that he wasn't going to play nice and he did want to see his daughter. He gave a slow mocking smile at her as if to dare her to try something.

Jake was silent and his annoyance was clear on his face. He was being backed into a corner and this was a situation that he had hoped to avoid. No doubt Sari was thinking that if Gray hadn't interfered then they wouldn't be in this conversation. It was speculation since she was staring long and hard at the man and the contempt was easy to see on her face. If they were going to ensure Jericho's survival… He didn't look forward to this.

"You will make one Jonah," Sari said.

The statement was enough to have everyone freeze and watch with interest. Jake felt his eyes widen at her statement. What was she doing?

Jonah paused and turned to look at Sari. He ambled towards her and asked in a mocking tone, "Oh? And what makes you think that I will?"

"I told you," Sari replied. She had lowered her arms and was standing there. It gave the impression that she might draw her gun but she was relaxed, not tensed. "I don't doubt that you don't want the whole of Jericho coming down here."

"You've got a lot of nerve."

"So do you."

"You heard my terms."

"I heard and you know that we can't ask that of her." Sari raised her finger in a warning gesture. "And before you start on that, consider this: if this deal doesn't go through and the town decides on retaliation, they will come, guns drawn, shoot first, ask questions later. Blood spills and if you happen to get shot or killed… it will only make Emily dislike you more. She will see it as your fault."

"You've got a lot of nerve," Jonah said as he came to stand toe to toe with her. He stared at her. If he hoped to stare her down, he was to be disappointed. She didn't budge.

Sari looked at Jonah with a firm look. Maybe it was foolish but she was asserting what was going to happen and the reality of the situation. "I am giving you a tactical analysis and if you don't go through with this, the odds will not be in your favor. Even if you call in help from other contacts. That's the reality of the situation."

Jonah looked at her and saw that she was serious. He knew that Sari was not one to lie about things. She had grown up since he last saw her since previously she would have cowered after a time. Here she was maintaining her stance. It made him wish he had recruited her into his gang ever more. She was what they needed. "You know what I want, Sheriff." He knew she was a deputy but it was clear that she was in charge. "I want to talk the Emily and I will consider what you offered."

It was better than nothing. Sari offered a nod and waited until Jonah backed away first before turning to head back to the truck. She got in but kept her eye on his men. They wouldn't risk pissing him off and it looked like they were going to be allowed to leave. She looked over at Jake as he started the engine and turned to head back into town. She knew Jake wanted to say something but was reluctant to since they had done nothing but quarrel recently and he didn't want to get into another one. She decided to speak first though, "I can talk to Emily if you want."

"No, I'll do it." Jake shook his head. "This was something I wanted to avoid."

"It's Jonah, JJ." It was a reasonable response. Sari looked at Jake as he spared a glance at her. "He was going to bring in Ems no matter what. Call it guilt trip winning or whatever but…" She shrugged.

"She doesn't want to see him."

"I know." Sari cleared her throat as she folded her hands into her lap. "I was the one that gave her the bad news about Chris. And I opened my big mouth and said that I tried to warn him. Of course everyone knew then how much we hung out…" She offered a lopsided grin.

"You shouldn't have been blamed for that."

"I don't know. Maybe Jonah was right. I often wondered if there was anything more I could have done."

Jake paused a bit, not wanting to sound like he was lecturing. Finally he said, "Maybe but we just didn't see it then. It's easy to look at the past and pass judgment on screw-ups. But… what you did wasn't a screw up."

Sari was silent as Jake continued the drive back to town. She was thoughtful about the whole thing. Mostly her thoughts were on how they were going to convince Emily to come and talk to Jonah. They both knew that it was a situation that could go either way and it was one of the few times she was stumped on how to go about it. She did say after a while, "I guess some things haven't changed over much. At least in how we tag team right?" She shot a grin at Jake.

Jake grinned in reply, "Maybe you're right."

~0~0~0~0~0~

"What are you drinking there?"

"I don't know. I think it might be kerosene."

Sari snorted at that as she stared at the contents of her glass. "From the smell, I think it was. Can't quite figure out the still though."

It eased the tension and Jake and Eric joined in with her gentle chuckling. She grinned as she looked at them with a slightly sleepy expression. It gave the impression she was drunk but the Green brothers knew that it was more of a means of relaxing. She played with the glass slightly and said, "If it is, then I'd think I'll take this home and light the lanterns."

"You haven't changed, Sari," Eric replied as he took a seat next to her so he was seated between her and his brother. He looked at the arrangement and then teased, "You only do this when you two are fighting."

"We're not fighting," Jake replied in a quiet tone.

"We're in disagreement over a few things but we're sitting this way because we agree on something and have no idea what to do about it," Sari offered. She wasn't drunk but being depressing and in the dumps wasn't the way to go. She took a sip and made a slight face.

Eric chuckled as he watched her face. He had been concerned all day after the plan was made that she go out with Jake to talk to Jonah. Part of it was because she had done a lot to get the town into some form of law and order. The other part was because she was his childhood friend and he still had feelings for her as a friend. Still if she and Jake weren't sitting side by side then it probably didn't go too well. He had to ask, "So how'd thing go with Jonah today?"

"I think I might have gotten us into a fight we don't want to be a part of and Sari as usual tried to get us out of it." Jake snorted at his report and took another sip. It was better than nothing when it came to alcohol.

"Nice."

"I wasn't all that bad," Sari added. She put a reassuring hand on Eric's shoulder. "I think I surprised Jonah more than anything. I don't think he expected me to show up with a badge." She giggled since it was pretty funny when you took out the serious part.

"Or he didn't realize that you could be badass when you want to," Eric teased.

"I'm not a badass," Sari replied with a smile as she shook her head. She took another sip of her drink. "Just someone that gives the impression they know what they're doing."

The Green brothers chuckled at that. They knew that it was an old habit of Sari's to be humble about her abilities. Part of it was her home life and the other was because she didn't think that it was that important. They knew better though. Jake said, "You better believe her and it was a convincing act."

"Still the same pair of trouble."

They chuckled some more until Jake asked, "So how about you? How was your day?"

"Well, I think I'm becoming Gray Anderson's yes man. The worst part of it is I'm not sure if that's a bad thing." Eric clasped his hands in front of him. He didn't like that Gray was starting to sow seeds of doubt regarding the new people in town. The people, especially Robert Hawkins, had been a big help in keeping the town afloat. He knew that Sari relied on him to help keep the peace but he did notice that they had a wariness about them when they interacted, like their conversations were guarded. He shook his head at that. He didn't want to doubt and he had trusted Sari in the past.

"Nothing wrong with being a yes man," Sari pointed out, "Just depends on whether or not if it's in line with what you truly think and believe."

"You don't have to be nice about what happened the last couple of days," Eric replied.

"Gray and I have differences of opinion. I just prefer a more civilized approach before resorting to rising levels of testosterone and then fists flying. That's so high school and so Stanley."

The comment sent the trio into another round of gentle laughter. However, each one turned inwardly to their own thoughts about what they were going to do. The times would be tough coming ahead and that meant tough decisions. It was something that they really had to look at. Jake played with his glass a little before stating the obvious, "Big day for the Green boys, huh?" He reached over to grab a glass for his brother and the stuff that he thought was kerosene.

"Yeah. You avoiding going home telling Dad?"

"Hell yeah. You?"

"Same."

"You two are pussies," Sari snorted in good humor. She only said it because they told her that Johnston Green was a force to be reckoned with when he was angry. She didn't see it even if she was being scolded. She insisted that the mayor was really an old softie on the inside.

Jake snorted at her choice of words while Eric was scandalized and asked, "When did you start talking like that?"

"Oh I've always talked like this. You've been too much of a prude like me to see it." Sari pushed her glass forward to have it refilled. It wouldn't hurt to have another. "I'm just prettier about it." She pulled her filled glass towards her.

"Oh ho, now who's the humble one?" Eric chuckled as he pulled his glass towards him. "Who are you and what have you done to Sari?"

"Oh I've always been here," Sari replied giving Eric a shoulder bump. "Just been being my usual."

Jake snorted at that. He knew that Sari was capable of a lot of good things. She was not the screw up he was but so much more. She was a good friend to him and Eric. Keeping up the good spirit, he asked, "Hey you two remember that time we set the carpet in Dad's office on fire?"

"What's this we, JJ?" Sari shot Jake a look. "You two were the ones that did the actual setting on fire. I said it was a bad idea."

"Yeah right," Eric countered, "You had the matches."

"Only because JJ said that we were going to roast marshmallows that night." Sari attempted a pout but failed since she was grinning. She then turned towards Eric and said, "And all you had to do was stick to the story and we would have been fine."

"Jake wanted me to tell Dad I had a seizure and knocked over his desk lamp," Eric pointed out while trying to look like it was the still the lamest idea ever.

"Yeah and with Sari's tears… Dad would have eaten it up," Jake countered with a grin. He knew now that it probably wouldn't have worked. Johnston Green knew what his sons were capable of and he learned quickly that when they involved Sari she was to be the distraction and lighten the punishment. Even if it was her fault and she insisted… It always worked and glancing at Sari, Jake saw that they all had come a long way from that.

"Any other brilliant ideas to get us out of this one?"

Jake looked at his brother. That was the question and he wasn't sure how he was going to come up with one. "Not at the moment."

Eric looked at Sari who was drinking her drink with a solemn expression and asked, "What about you Sari?"

Sari took a sip of her drink and let the alcohol sit in her mouth before swallowing it. "I honestly don't know Eric. But I will say what I have said before and that is I will defend this town. I took this job to keep some semblance of law and order and I aim to keep it." She turned to look at her glass and fingered it. "Just as long as you are willing to keep trusting me on that."

"I do," Eric replied automatically. He paused when Sari looked at him with that raised brow of hers. He knew that he had called into question her judgment lately and if he were truly honest with himself… She was doing her job and probably better than anyone else could have with the resources that she had. And Jimmy and Bill trusted her completely. "I'm sorry, Sari. Maybe you were right and…"

"Maybe and maybe not," Sari allowed and gave a smile to show that she was okay with it. "We're only trying to do the best we can with what we got."

Eric hummed at that and looked down at his drink. They didn't really have a plan to get them out of the rut they were in but… they would come up with something. "Well… I say that we finish these drinks, go home and try to explain all this to Dad in a way that won't kill him."

"As long as it's Sari," Jake joked. When Eric and Sari looked at him with raised brows, he explained, "Oh come on. You both know that he will listen to Sari no matter what. He's always had a soft spot for her."

Sari snorted at that before reaching over and punching Jake in the shoulder. It had them jibing back and forth. It ended up with one of them saying that this was so high school and too much of Stanley. It felt good to be going back and forth despite what they were going to face at the Green home. It was like old times if only for a little while.

* * *

 **A/N:** The terms have been laid and overall it seems to be not a good day at all for Jake, Sari and Eric. Stay tuned for more Forces Banding Together...


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"I've given him three courses of antibiotics. It must have been too much for his system. He's become septic."

Sari took in a deep breath as she processed the information. She had gone with Jake to explain what had been happening with Gray coming back and the whole thing with Jonah Prowse. She couldn't deny that she was pretty much a sweetheart when it came to softening the blow on the impending punishment. She did remember the times that the punishment she and Jake had gotten in the past had been much lighter than it should have been.

Sari had always had a special relationship with the Greens and with Johnston in general. She wasn't trying to replace her father but thinking about it, she had been craving a father figure that was like him. Johnston Green fit the bill and he never treated her any different from his own sons; it was like she was part of the family. She had been invited for dinners, the annual Thanksgiving football game and other Green activities, the things that her mother let her go to and Paul didn't object to.

She came in with Jake to find Emily there wanting to talk with Jake mostly and come to find out that Johnston had collapsed and he wasn't breathing. She had come in with Jake and Eric into the master bedroom to find Johnston on his back on the floor and Gail and April performing CPR on the man. Sari had been stunned and all she could do was stand there with her hand on her mouth and silently praying to anyone who was listening that Johnston would be okay.

It was tense and she didn't want to contemplate standing at the gravesite of another person that mattered the most in her life. Not when so much had been lost already. It was a relief though to hear the sudden gasp of air as Johnston took a breath and was breathing again. She had let go of the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Now she was standing in the living room and listening to April's assessment of the situation.

"How do we treat it?"

April's silence to Eric's question had Sari look up. She looked at April and said, "Super doc, please. How do we treat it?" She gave a firm and pointed look to help April focus.

April took in a breath and looked up at Sari. She noticed the look and replied, "If the Med Center were operational, maybe. If we could medevac him into County Hospital in Rogue River, maybe. If we had any heavy duty meds left in the pharmacy, maybe. Without that…" April paused and looked at the anxious faces and the one serious looking face staring at her. She didn't want to tell them this but she had to. "Twelve hours. Maybe a day."

That wasn't the best of news to hear and it hit like a hard blow to everyone in the room. Sari eyed Eric and Jake as they started pacing. No doubt a million thoughts were running through their heads as was running through hers. This was difficult. In terms of her job, Jericho's mayor was in danger of dying and there was the issue with Jonah Prowse and it involved the one thing that Sari knew that neither she nor Jake could ask of Emily.

Sari put a hand to her mouth as she pondered their options. As far as she could tell, there was only one option. The more she thought about it, the more necessary it was. However, there was great risk to the entire thing. She just wasn't sure if it was viable logically. In her heart though, she knew it was the only option available to them.

"What kind of meds?"

Sari listened as Emily asked the question and looked at April. She had the idea. She just needed to know what they needed. Then the details would come later. It would be just like planning for an op with her team. And like those jobs it was a matter of life and death.

"What?"

Emily clarified what she was asking, "You said that he needed some heavy duty meds. What kind would he need?"

April gave a slight nod at that. She took a breath and replied, "Something strong enough to blow out the infection fast. Let his body heal itself. Cipro, probably, but we ran out weeks ago."

That was what Sari needed. She had the authority as a deputy and hell might as well be sheriff of the town since everyone treated her as such. She looked at Jake and then at April, "They'd have that med in Rogue River."

"Sari, that's ninety miles away," April countered. She couldn't believe that Sari of all people was suggesting what she thought she was suggesting.

"Then we'd better get going then," Jake replied. He started to turn to leave and caught the surprised look on Sari's face. He gave a slight grin and said, "What? You didn't think that I was letting you go without backup now?"

Sari gave a soft snort and gestured, "Then let's go. As deputy or sheriff I'm not letting this town go without a mayor." She went over and grabbed her jacket. Her gun and badge were still on her belt but she would need a little more firepower.

"Wait, I'm going too." Eric came over and grabbed his jacket. He looked at Jake and Sari and gave a slight nod to indicate that he was going no matter what they said. "Can't let you two get into trouble." He offered a slight smile even though he was feeling rattled about the whole thing. He envied his brother and Sari's ability to give a joke to lessen the seriousness of a situation and allow them to think clearly.

"Eric, no," April protested, "If Gray's right about how dangerous…"

Sari, Jake and Eric were heading towards the door, hearing the protests but not really listening when they were stopped by Gail standing on the staircase. She had been listening to the whole conversation. Sari opened her mouth slightly as she shifted on her feet, not liking the expression on Gail's face but she knew that she had the woman's blessing to not only go but to take her sons with her. It was confirmed when Gail said, "Go. Go now."

Sari nodded at Gail and received a look of reassurance. She knew that Ryan would be okay with the Greens. The Greens had been looking after Ryan since her parents died and Sari had been trying to figure out how she fit into that picture. It was just hard trying to keep the town that had been home from falling apart. Figuring things out in the middle of a crisis was something she knew how to do. To have someone, a young girl completely dependent upon you… it was way different and right now she felt torn about it.

There was no time to think about it though since Jake and Eric ushered her out of the house. She went into her soldier mode and started thinking about what they were going to need. She huddled with the Green brothers to make a plan of attack on what they needed, what supplies they were going to need to get to Rogue River and back. The biggest obstacle was transportation. "Alright we all have guns and other necessities. Our biggest concern is transport."

"I can ask Heather," Jake pointed out. "I'm sure she'd let us use the truck again."

"Alright," Sari replied with a nod. She looked at Eric, "Eric, grab basics of food and water, anything that can fit into pockets. Grab your guns and plenty of ammo. Meet me by Gracie's store. Got it?"

It left no room for argument and they split up to get what they needed. Sari went to her house to pull out a rifle and ammunition. She went into the basement and took a look at her inventory. She eyed the other military grade weapons she had there and wondered if she should take one or not. She did pull out a shotgun with a pistol grip since that wouldn't seem too out of place and after careful thought, she pulled out the hunting rifle with the scope that would rival Stanley's.

She put them on the table to inspect them and make sure they were in working order. It was like second nature since she had practiced taking apart and putting together her service weapon in basic. She had done it so that she could field strip and assemble as necessary and she had learned her way around guns. Most everyone living in Jericho learned how to shoot at some point in their lives or had grown up doing it. Now it seemed that it was a skill that was the difference between life and death in the world they were living in now.

"What are you doing?"

Sari didn't looked up from what she was doing since she had to get it done. She wasn't concerned about Ryan seeing it since her little sister had seen a gun before and it had been drilled into her how to use one and all the rules of safety that went with it. She replied, "Checking my guns."

Ryan peered at what her sister was doing and noted the look of concentration on her sister's face. "You're going out aren't you?"

Sari sighed and nodded, "Mayor Green is sick and needs some strong medicine. I have to…"

"Go to Rogue River."

Everyone knew that the nearest town with a hospital was in Rogue River. So it wasn't a surprise to Ryan that Sari was planning on going there. Sari looked up from her work to look at her little sister. "Are you going to be okay staying with the Greens?"

"Yeah. Apart from you, they are the only family I have."

Sari paused and looked at her sister. She felt guilty about leaving her. "I'm sorry, Rye bread I…"

"I get it. Mayor Green is like a dad to you. If Dad were sick, I'd do anything to help him."

Sari wasn't fooled though. She knew that Ryan was upset at her leaving just as she was upset that she had taken the job at the sheriff's station. She didn't think that she was cut out to be a parent. She had no idea how to be one and she had to take care of her little sister. Her expression saddened, "Rye… I really am sorry. But I am…" She paused since she knew what was coming next and braced for impact.

"Yeah I know. You are basically the sheriff of town," Ryan gestured. She understood why her sister was leaving. She just didn't like it just like she didn't like the fact that her sister's time was being taken up by helping a town that had basically run her off and turned their back on her. She didn't get it and it made her angry. "I mean they didn't lift a finger to help you and yet you are working for them."

"Rye…"

"Just go. I know Mayor Green needs help. I'll be here when you get back." Ryan then turned and left, her feet thumping up the stairs.

Sari watched as her sister thumped up the stairs. She knew why she was upset and she felt bad enough. She knew that Ryan had been planning something for her birthday. She had noticed the secret wanderings and the way Ryan was trying to hide a few things. It really wasn't fair and maybe… Sari sighed since she knew she couldn't dwell on it now. She had a job to do but…

She found Ryan upstairs moping on her bed. Sari knocked on the doorframe and asked, "Can I come in?"

"Whatever."

Sari made a slight face as she watched Ryan flop back over her bed. She walked in and stood there. She was tempted to sit on her bed but she held back. "I'm sorry about your birthday plans."

That had Ryan turn and look at her. "You knew?"

"Suspicions you were planning something. Details… not so much." Sari stood there looking at her sister. "I was looking forward to being surprised."

"Then don't go."

"I have to."

"Have to or want to?" Ryan sat up and looked at her sister. "You miss what you were doing don't you?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

Sari slowly blinked as she advanced a little. She sighed, "No I don't miss it. But Rye bread… it's all I know. I'm not like Mom." She watched as Ryan turned away and sighed. She was going to turn away but she stopped and looked back. "Habibbitti, I'm not doing this to spite you. I would do what I am doing for anyone in my family. JJ, Eric… you. I came here to take care of you and try to live a normal life but it didn't work out that way. Now… the only way I know you're going to be okay is for me to do this job. Me knowing that you're safe here in Jericho, at home with our family… that is what I work for. I don't like what I have to do but…" She stopped. She didn't want to go into the lecture she had given Gray and Eric. She hesitated and looked away not sure how to continue.

In the meantime, Ryan had turned around. She looked at her sister and saw the tears brim in her eyes. She had never known her sister to cry. She had refused to do it in her dad's presence. To see her older sister cry… it softened the blow and she realized that her sister probably sacrificed more than she would ever tell anyone. She slid off her bed and grabbed her sister in a hug and squeezed. She felt her own tears spill out as she said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Sari soothed as she automatically enveloped her sister in a hug. She held Ryan tightly and tried to keep the tears at bay but failed miserably. "I'm the one that is sorry."

"Promise you'll come back. You and JJ."

"I promise," Sari said with a smiled as she pressed her head on top of Ryan's. "I promise and we'll have a birthday celebration when I get back."

~0~0~0~0~

"Seems like you're a hit in this town."

"Not a word, princess." Jake pointed at Sari as she leaned against Charlotte looking like the cat that caught the canary.

Jake had managed to borrow the truck from Heather but with protests. That was learning that it wasn't a very fast vehicle and if worst case scenario were to occur, then they were in trouble. Maybe not so much since he knew that Sari was a good shot and Eric was decent but still… It was the best that they could come up with on short notice and his dad needed the medicine. They had to go with what they got. He just didn't expect it when Heather kissed him and… Now he was paying the price with Sari.

Sari grinned at Jake, knowing that he was probably feeling awkward about it. "What? Just telling the truth and it is no secret that Heather likes you." She shrugged like it was no big deal when in truth it felt kind of weird to her.

"And you're trying to set me up?"

Sari held up her hands to indicate that she wasn't up to anything. "No. Just stating the obvious." She went over and reached into the bed of the pickup for the gas can. "It was one of the reasons why you had me roll with you."

"It's not like that and it was never about that," Jake retorted while flushing. The kiss felt good but it felt awkward to him. He felt embarrassed that Sari was a witness and at the same time didn't like it.

"Oh I know," Sari countered as she upended the can into the truck, "I just like giving you a hard time about it." She grinned at him and turned her concentration to gassing up.

Jake made a slight sound while trying hard to get rid of the blush. It was then that he noticed her arsenal. "Shotgun and rifle?"

"Always be prepared," Sari replied as she finished. "Something we all learned right?" She gave a friendly punch to Jake's shoulder and grinned at him. She sobered though and said, "And I figured since we are going out and it's a whole new world out there." She looked over and stared at nothing in particular before looking back at Jake.

"Aw what the hell? This is what we're driving?" Eric's tone pierced the air before Jake could provide an answer.

Jake looked at his brother and turned towards Sari to find her moving to pack the bed of the truck. He felt like he had been caught making out with Sari and while that sounded interesting to scandalize Eric with, he found that it left him feeling… he couldn't voice it and instead focused on answering his brother, "Yeah, I mean, it's not actually a… yeah." He cleared his throat.

Eric went towards the back and put the gear and supplies he had gotten into the back. It was then that there was a noise, a vehicle coming. He recognized the truck as one of Jonah's trucks and behind it was a car, a Roadster. He looked at Jake and said, "I thought the deal was we'd go get the food and he'd stay away."

Jake had seen the truck and the car enter just as Sari did. He threw the empty gas can into the truck bed, narrowly missing Sari as she moved to hop out of the truck bed, ready to be the law and order. "It was."

It was a surprise when Emily got out of the driver's seat of the Roadster. Sari blinked and her gaze shifted from Emily to the truck and then back again. She raised her brow while Jake spoke, "Em?"

"I couldn't get you the meds you needed, so I got you the second best thing," Emily said without preamble as she tossed the keys to Jake. "A fast car. He said it's a gift and a courtesy to Sari." She looked at Sari who was taking it in quietly as people were unloading the truck that was full of food.

Jake held the keys as he looked at Sari who was quietly observing the whole thing. He then looked back at Emily and said, "You do know there are no gifts with him." Her silent response had him feel guilty and he apologized, "I'm really sorry you got dragged into this."

"Nobody dragged me," Emily replied as she started walking away. "Go save your dad." She paused by Sari and looked at her. Finally she said, "He'll respect your boundaries and that if you do need anything to call him. He'll make a fair deal."

Sari looked at Emily, sorry that the girl had gotten dragged into this. She didn't deserve it and yet she went to help out Mayor Green. She nodded and said, "Thank you and I am sorry it came to this."

"He told me what you did and that you surprised him when you stood up to him. And what you said." Emily paused before reaching out to hold Sari's hand and give it a friendly squeeze. "Thank you and… this town needs you." She released Sari's hand and walked away.

Sari watched Emily walk away. She would try to find a way to make this up to Emily. True they weren't exactly friends but because they had gone through school together… Sari always suspected that Emily ever deigned to talk to her was because she was Jake's friend and Jake wasn't the type to leave a friend out in the cold. Sari wasn't one to be mean to a person and always was polite with Emily even when what happened to Chris happened and that…

Taking a breath she walked over to the truck just as Jake called out to Eric to load up. She pulled out gear and the guns and took them to the Roadster. Now they had the means of getting there and outrunning anything that might want to give chase. It seemed that they were going to get some good luck going and things may start to look up. She wasn't fool enough to think that it was going to be easy. Maybe easier since they were going to have their fair share of struggles.

Once the gear was packed, she made to get into the backseat. She paused to look at Jake and teased, "You think you can get this thing going?"

"Better than you. I remember the bus," Jake teased back with a lopsided grin.

"I was badass with the bus. You were terrible."

"I had a concussion."

Sari made a slight snort as she grinned at Jake. "Show me what you got JJ," she said as she gave a tap to the roof of the Roadster and got in. She couldn't resist teasing Eric, "You got some Dramamine for yourself, Eric? JJ's driving."

"Don't remind me," Eric said soberly but making the attempt at humor. He made the effort to smile at Sari as he got into the front passenger side as Jake got into the driver's seat. "I remember the tractor incident."

"Don't get started on that," Jake asked as he turned the engine over. "That was an accident."

"And a precedent for the future," Sari intoned in a joking manner that earned her a wry look from Jake as she shifted gears and pulled out to head out of town and in the direction of Rogue River.

As Jake drove out of town. Sari adjusted herself on the backseat. It was a little difficult since she had brought her guns into the car with her and she also had positioned ammo just in case. She was hoping that they wouldn't run into too much trouble on the open road but one couldn't be too careful. She noted the tense posture Jake had and had a feeling he was thinking about his time over there.

She hadn't meant to mention that she had been in Afghanistan but she had to make her point. At least Jake hadn't asked her specifically where. That would have been difficult since how could she tell him that she had basically been two steps behind him and was there to investigate what happened in that village. She closed her eyes as she recalled the devastation she had seen over there and that smug look she had seen of the CO of that PM unit. Mostly she could see the destruction and the dead in her mind's eye and then…

There were other scenes like that and she remembered the drives to get there. Even though the way had been cleared by US forces, there was always the chance of an ambush. Every convoy had to go out with the knowledge that they could be attacked either by gunman or an IED or both. It was scary business and she didn't really want to know of any close calls if there were any. Then there was that mission with the schoolteachers. Opening her eyes she focused on the landscape for any signs that someone was up to no good.

"You got my back, princess?"

Sari glanced up front and noticed that Jake was looking at her through the rearview mirror. He must have seen her deep in thought as she situated herself. She didn't know what she would do if he asked her right then and there about Afghanistan. She managed to grin at him and reply, "Always JJ. Keep eyes front and I'll keep look out. You too Eric."

"You're expecting trouble?"

Sari glanced at the back of Eric's head as he turned to look out the windows. It was clear that he was in thought and probably worrying about trying to get to Rogue River and back with the much needed medicine in hand and on time. She reached over and gave a pat, "Always have hanging around you and JJ for as long as I have. And I need you to focus. I'm hoping we don't run into trouble but I'm just being practical."

Eric glanced at his shoulder where Sari had patted him. He allowed himself a small smile as he turned his attention to look out his side of the car to keep an eye out. He held his rifle ready just in case he had to use it.

The three rode on in silence as they passed the road sign that said Rogue River was ninety three miles ahead. They had a long drive ahead of them. Each one of them prayed silently that what they needed was at Rogue River and that quite possibly the answers that they needed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Mayor Green is sick and the only place there is meds is Rogue River. Jake, Sari and Eric head out. Stay tuned for more Forces Banding Together...


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Jake."

"I see it."

Sari looked up from where she was keeping watch and turned to face the front. She saw the car that had been run off the road and the dead girl that was lying there. She leaned forward to get a quick look and said, "Don't stop JJ."

"I'm not stopping until we get to Rogue River," Jake replied more to let Eric know that he wasn't going to follow through with his brother's protests.

Sari swallowed back the bile that threatened and looked ahead and then out to the left. She knew that all three of them wanted to stop and inspect but… not now. _Just like that village…_ She closed her eyes and slowly opened them and readjusted her hands on the weapon.

"We can't just leave her on the side of the road like that," Eric protested as he looked out his window. He didn't like that there was a dead woman lying there. Or she could still be alive.

"Yes we can," Sari countered.

"See that second set of skid marks back there?" Jake glanced in the rearview mirror. He didn't like it either but he was not going to risk his brother, his partner or is life in something that could be an ambush. "Means that someone forced her off the road and probably robbed her and killed her. For all we know, they could be waiting out there to do it again."

Eric looked at Jake like he was a whole different person. He glanced back at Sari. He had been expecting her to protest too but he got none from her. Instead she said that he wasn't to stop. What really had been going on the last five years with these two?

"I don't like it any more than you two," Sari piped up from the back as she leaned forward. "But this is how it is."

"It's not Afghanistan," Eric replied looking a little annoyed.

"Might as well be," Sari countered firmly. She twisted to look Eric in the eye and continued, "We may have law and order in Jericho but out here… might as well be over there. People are scared and they are reacting. Some are taking advantage and will do anything including killing and using others as bait. It sucks because in the end you can't tell who is friend and who is foe and all you see is the end result." She looked at Eric well aware that she may have gone a little too far but she had to get her point across.

Jake had been silent during her whole speech. He knew she had seen things but he was just hearing the details. It had him wondering where she had been exactly. Some of what she had been saying sounded exactly like what he had seen. Did she see what he had done? He was hoping she hadn't. It was a mistake and one he regretted deeply and carried with him. He was afraid of what she knew and what she might think of him if he ever told her the truth.

Keeping that in mind, he countered a bit more gently, "If we don't make it, Dad dies. This is the world we live in now and maybe… we should listen to Sari more." He gave a glance towards Eric.

Eric was silent as he looked at Jake. He didn't want to admit that maybe his brother was right about a few things. A lot of things were happening and there were people who had been willing to step up and make the hard decisions. It was just easy to disregard Sari because he still thought of her as the sweet little girl he remembered growing up despite the few times she surprised everyone like hauling Stanley Richmond in a fireman's carry. And yet here she was trying to keep Jericho safe.

The silence carried on a few more miles until Eric pulled up the map of the area. "Okay," he said as he peered at the map, "I got a route to the County Hospital in Rogue River. Take Cedar Run Road…"

"No good."

Eric looked at Jake with a pointed look, "You don't even know what I was going to say."

"Put the map away, we're taking the back roads."

"Jake, Dad's on borrowed time. We need to get the medicine and get back." Eric looked at his brother like he was crazy. They didn't have time to mess around here.

"Me and JJ spent most of our teenage years driving these backroads," Sari entered in a quiet tone. She caught Eric's eyes and couldn't help but tease him, "Where do you think we went all those times?"

Jake felt his lip twitch a little at that. It was true he and Sari spent a lot of time on the backroads. It was how she was able to find him so fast a month ago like she did. She knew which ways were backups in case the main roads were blocked for whatever reason and how to make up for lost time. That was one of their great adventures they had once they were teenagers and had a certain amount of freedom to move around. "We'll make up the time," he added.

"You always think you know better," Eric shot back bitterly. The next thing he knew was he had the rifle shoved in his face and he was asked if they were loaded. "Yes, it's loaded."

Sari didn't interfere with the exchange. Even though they all grew up together, they did go their separate ways and there were some things that just didn't rub the right way. Even before she and Jake left there was a bitterness between the brothers and in the beginning she sought to try and fix it but both told her in their own way to leave it alone and she did. She didn't like it since she actually didn't like fighting or conflict. She still didn't even after everything she had done. So it was hard for her to let the Green brothers work it out.

"Jake, Sari… what are we going to have to do?"

Jake glanced in the rearview mirror to catch Sari's eye. He recognized that she was sitting this one out like she had done before they left. He knew too that there were things that he and Eric had to work out and while he couldn't figure out how to do that and he could ask Sari but deep down he knew he had to find the answer and do it in his own way. "I don't know, but when it comes time to do it…"

"I'll be ready."

Jake didn't need to ask Sari. She had already given her word that she had his back. They were partners again and they always looked out for each other. He just had to remember that she could do a few things on her own too and not undermine her capabilities. He gave a reassuring nod as he made a turn down one of the backroads towards their destination.

The drive became silent. Sari was keeping an eye out in the back and thinking about how to make things up to Ryan. First thing though she was determined to get back from this trip in one piece. Even though she had taken on a fairly dangerous job… that was her goal, to get back to her little sister each and every night. Up until now it had been fairly smooth sailing and that talk they had before she left…

"You haven't said anything for miles. Stay sharp."

Sari looked up, thinking that Jake was talking to her. She found that he was talking to Eric who had also been silent after their initial outburst miles back. She had forgotten that he was there even though she was in the backseat since she had been focused on the mission. She watched as Eric looked up and asked, "What happened to you, Jake? To you and Sari?"

"What do you mean?" Jake looked at Eric and added, "And you've heard Sari. She was in Afghanistan."

Eric looked pointedly at Jake and asked, "Where were you?" At Jake's silence he answered his own question, "I'm assuming jail." There was more silence and he pressed, "Why won't you tell me?"

"Why does it matter?" It was a sore point for Jake and one he didn't want to tell in front of Sari. He suspected that she might know but he didn't want to say anything. Not to her.

"Because all that time I stood and watched Mom and Dad suffer," Eric spat while trying to be civil. "Every time the phone rang, they thought it was you. I used to hate calling the house because we sound the same on the phone. I couldn't listen to them realizing it was only me."

Sari pressed her tongue against her teeth hearing that. She wanted to say something but she remained silent as Jake snapped, "I'm sorry, all right? I'm sorry for what I did to our family but don't use me as an excuse for not getting on with your life."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jake gave a slight snort. He had it figured out the moment he set foot back in Jericho. It didn't take a genius to figure it out though he felt bad for April. "You wouldn't be the first guy to leave his wife, Eric."

Eric shot a sharp look at Jake. It was then he felt the back of the seat shift and he realized that Sari was there listening to every single word. She wasn't looking at him with derision but rather more like a cross between disappointment and it was what it was. She knew too and he didn't know what was worse, Jake knowing or Sari knowing.

Jake knew that Sari had been listening. It was one of her talents. She had a way of being quiet to the point you tended to forget she was there. He had forgotten that but it came back full force the moment she got into the backseat and he checked the rearview mirror. Since she was already listening and had leaned forward, he continued, "I'm not saying to leave her. I'm just saying that…"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Jake," Eric warned before glancing at Sari and adding, "You too."

"Didn't say anything," Sari muttered, "But it's not that hard to see when you really look." She adjusted her position to lean back into her seat.

"And I'm talking about what you're afraid to say," Jake added. He shot a look at Eric and then focused on the road. "Take it from me and Sari, life's too short."

"Well don't worry about me. Just drive."

There wasn't that much more to say after that. There was still some tension between the Green brothers and Sari felt it. As much as she knew she should sit this one out, she couldn't let it stay like this. Hell, this was like the time that two of her guys got into a tiff and it carried on into the mission. They did their jobs but they could be doing it better. The best she could come up with was probably the most useful talent and gift she ever had.

Leaning forward she put her forearms on the back of the front seat and said, "Did you know that Ryan was orchestrating a birthday surprise?"

Jake raised his brow at that and replied, "Really?"

Eric looked at Jake. This was out of the blue in his opinion. Yet it was better than talking about what Jake possibly knew about him. He offered, "Yeah, uh… she asked Mom for some ideas about a cake or something like it."

"Cake? Really? That's ambitious," Sari replied with a grin. "I was expecting something more like a treat at dinner."

"Well you are her sister," Jake replied with a grin. "And it is a big number for you."

Before Jake could say the number he got a punch to the shoulder and he chuckled especially when she warned him not to say it. He looked over at Eric and noted the slight smile that formed on his face. He then understood what Sari had been trying to do and he glanced at her. She was a good friend and the best partner he ever had. "I was going to say twenty one forever."

"That's more like it," Sari replied with a smirk. "And don't forget that I know how to kick your ass now."

"And I'd love to see that," Eric replied with a grin.

~0~0~0~0~

Ryan was sitting on the floor next to the couch in the Green house. The situation was bad with Mayor Green. She could feel it and she heard it when Gail asked April about his condition. She sighed as she rested her head on the seat cushion and fingered the material.

It was pretty bad from what she heard and it made her feel worse that she had gotten made at her sister for going out there. She knew that was the reason but she couldn't help but voice that she was upset and she was but now… She sighed as she fingered the couch.

"Hey, why are you so down in the dumps?"

Ryan looked up to see Emily looking at her with a slight smile. She returned it but it didn't stay long. "Just…" She couldn't really voice what she was feeling.

"It must be hard with things and Sari being the sheriff," Emily offered though she was certain that there was something more to it. She was trying to be sympathetic to Ryan since she was certain that it was tough on the girl since she lost her parents and Sari was being herself and helping everyone and forgetting that she now had responsibilities.

"Not really," Ryan said, being loyal to her sister. "Sometimes it's hard when things pop up but… I know she's doing it for me and not just the town." She nodded as she added, "We're learning as we go and… I'm worried about Mayor Green."

Emily smiled at Ryan as she sat on the floor. She kneeled in front of her, "Hey, it's gonna be okay. You know that right?"

"I know. Because JJ and Sari are taking care of it."

The devotion to her sister surprised Emily since it had been five years since anyone had seen Sari and there was bound to be some resentments floating around. Then she had to take that back. Since Sari came back, she had offered her help and even took on jobs that most weren't willing to do. It was probably a clever way to get back in good graces but she knew that Sari would never see it that way. Sari loved Jericho as much as she did. In fact Emily didn't know many women who would volunteer as a deputy and end up being the sheriff in the spirit of the whole thing. And she did try to make it so that she didn't have to get involved.

Looking at Ryan, Emily couldn't help but smile and reply, "Yeah, they'll take care of it."

"You don't have to lie to me about how dangerous it is you know."

Emily gave a slight look at Ryan, "Trying to be a tough girl now?" She grinned to indicate she was teasing.

"No. I just know that where they are going is dangerous." Ryan offered a shrug with her answer. She wasn't sure if she should say that her sister went to great pains to not really emphasize the dangers of her job or what they were doing now.

Emily would have said something but at that moment, the doorbell rang. She glanced at Ryan before going over to the door and finding her friend Heather standing on the other side of it with a bag of food. "Hey," she said in response.

"I brought some food," Heather offered.

"Yeah come in. Gail's upstairs." Emily backed away to let Heather come in.

Ryan had followed Emily and saw that it was Heather and greeted her, "Hi."

"Hey Ryan. How are things?" Heather gave a smile at Ryan.

"Okay. You brought stuff for Mayor and Mrs. Green?"

Heather smiled, trying to be cheerful even though it was a serious matter going on. She didn't want to let her worries about Jake make the girl scared or more scared. "Yeah. Well I used to have this phobia of dairy products that didn't need to be refrigerated." She took something out of the bag. "No I thank God for processed cheese food."

Ryan couldn't help but giggle at that. She said, "Then I guess the feeling is mutual."

Heather and Emily chuckled a little at that while Emily replied, "Well I brought soup. Cream of mushroom. What I have left is what I had for the food drive." She gestured at the kitchen table that had things brought over by people.

"Sari and I brought over what we had from the garden that Mom planted. It's fresh," Ryan said as she patted the vegetables that Sari had dropped off before they took off to Rogue River. "Sari was going to make a soup with them. I don't know how but she was."

"Seems like we're not the only ones," Heather said with a slight smile. It was a testament to the good people of Jericho by the amount of help they were able to give from their meager stores. She took a breath, getting down to why she was there, "How is he?"

Emily sighed. She didn't want to say anything in front of Ryan but the girl knew the situation and she probably overheard things. "He's getting worse and April doesn't think he has a lot of time."

Ryan had moved out of the room to let the adults talk. She was well aware of the situation regarding Mayor Green; he was in serious condition and there was the very real possibility that he could die if they couldn't get the medicine that they needed. She couldn't contemplate a world without Mayor Green and didn't want to try which was why she was determined that her JJ and sister were going to succeed and get what they needed from Rogue River.

A thump sounded and Ryan looked up from where she was sitting on the stairs and saw Gail Green coming down the stairs. She stood up to clear the way and followed her into the dining room just as Gail said, "I heard the door and I thought it was the boys and Sari."

Emily offered, "Heather brought some food."

Gail cast a grateful look in Heather's direction, "Oh thank you, sweetheart."

"I'm so sorry about your husband, Mrs. Green." Heather took a step forward to be reassuring to the woman that seemed indomitable at times.

Gail hummed a little while smiling. It dropped rather quickly as she crossed her arms and shook her head. "In this day and age, how can someone die of a fever? It's the twenty first century and I can't get the right drugs. Can't even find ice to cool him off." She looked away wondering what she was going to do and where Jake, Eric and Sari were. True she knew they were on their way to Rogue River but with all the unknowns that were going on…

"I can make ice."

Gail looked at Heather when she spoke. It sounded absurd at first but at this point any idea was welcome. She was willing to entertain even the crazy ideas she had heard the kids of Jericho come up with before all this. She looked at Heather and indicated that she should continue.

"I…" Heather realized all eyes were on her and she collected herself to explain, "One of the students had a project in the science fair last year. I just need water and…" She thought about what she needed and what she could remember from the science project. She looked at Gail and asked, "Do you have fertilizer?"

"Maybe," Gail offered a little confused, "In the garage."

Heather was satisfied that she had everything. Maybe she could do this. "Okay. I can do this… I think." She just wished she felt more confident.

Emily recognized that Heather may have a good idea. She saw that she wasn't overly confident so she stepped in, "Okay. Let's try." She gave Heather a look of confidence.

Heather took it for what it was and nodded before turning towards Gail, "Okay, Grab every large bowl you have." She looked at Emily and asked, "And can you get some buckets and get some fresh water from the well. It'll be cooler and I'll go get the fertilizer."

Gail was liking this plan. This was something she could do to help her husband. She nodded and went to go get every large bowl that was in her pantry. She told Emily, "Buckets are in the laundry room."

It was a mission and one that everyone could do. Emily went to the laundry room to get the buckets and was joined by Ryan. She was grabbing a bucket and heading out the door. "Where are you going?"

Ryan paused and turned to look at Emily and replied, "Going to get water. We have a pump."

Emily wasn't going to discourage the girl from helping but… "I got it Ryan."

"I want to help."

Emily couldn't deny that the girl wanted to help them but she didn't think that it would be a good idea for Ryan to try and help with the heavy buckets though she was certain that the girl could carry it. She was well aware that Sari stockpiled her water just in case something happened and they needed it and no doubt Ryan was probably thinking of that too but… "I know. Why don't you sit with Mayor Green?"

"April is doing that."

"True," Emily replied as she stepped forward to take the bucket from Ryan. "But you are not a doctor. You are a friend… family and sometimes that it different than what a doctor can do." She was aware that she sounded like she was talking down to Ryan but she had seen Sari use the same technique to convince her that her way was better. She hoped that it worked.

Ryan was well aware of what Emily was trying to do. She did want to help and she could get water too but… She sighed at that and replied, "Okay." She handed over the bucket to Emily and went back into the house towards the stairs. She turned to look at Emily. She had questions to ask and ended up asking, "Is it going to work?"

Emily didn't want to lie but she couldn't not tell Ryan what she thought. She replied, "We're going to try."

Ryan nodded and turned to head up the stairs leaving Emily to smile and turn to go get the water. She knew that Mayor Green had a soft spot for Sari and her sister and would no doubt sense that she was around and it would be reassuring. She knew that it would be okay and she went to the well to get the needed water.

Ryan made her way up the stairs and to the room where Mayor Green was unconscious. She peeked around and saw that April was not there so she tiptoed in. She stood by the bed and looked around, not sure of what to do. There was a chair nearby so she took it and pulled it close and sat there looking at the man sleeping. She looked down at her hands and tried to think of something to say or do. Emily said to talk to him so… Taking a breath she said, "Mayor Green? I don't know if you can hear me but…"

* * *

 **A/N:** They are racing to Rogue River and the clock is ticking. Stay tuned for more Forces Banding Together...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Rogue River loomed ahead as Jake pulled in on the outskirts of town. The buildings were there but there was an ominous feeling that permeated the atmosphere as Jake made his way towards the hospital. In simplest of terms, the place was a ghost town.

Jake pulled onto the main street and for the first time since he took off on this mission, he slowed the Roadrunner down to a complete stop. He had to get out and take a good look at what he was seeing, not noticing that Eric and Sari had gotten out at the same time. If he had, he would have noticed that Sari had reverted back to the familiar stances of maintaining alert.

They looked all around and found nothing but empty buildings and trash left on the ground. Sari swallowed slightly as she turned to survey her surroundings. A feeling of dread started to build in the pit of her stomach and she pressed her tongue against the tip of her teeth. _Please, don't let it be like…_

"Where is everybody?"

Sari turned towards Eric. She then glanced at Jake who was looking around and thinking the same question his brother had just asked. He had a bad feeling about what might have happened and he didn't want to think about it. Right now he had to focus. "Come on. Let's get to the hospital." He got back into the car.

Sari was the last to get in as she checked their surroundings. This was not looking good and she didn't like that they may be stumbling into something that they may end up reaping bigger consequences for. She got into the car and looked out through the back window as Jake turned in the direction of the hospital. She was surprised when Jake stopped in front of a house but she saw why and she made a slight sound when she looked at the door.

"See those markings?" Jake pointed out the door of the house to Eric. He explained the markings, "These homes were evacuated 10/25 by FEMA."

"10/25, that means…" Eric started to come to a realization.

"They came through a month after the bombs," Jake confirmed. He knew that Sari was hanging onto every word and from the look of things he was certain that she knew what this meant. It had him even more curious as to what she did in the time she was away.

"Well, if FEMA was here," Eric began, "At least there's still some sort of government."

Jake wasn't too sure of that and replied, "As of a week ago." He turned to look out his window and at the house across the street. It was marked like the one they were parked across. That meant that Rogue River had been evacuated for some reason or other. It really wasn't looking good for them.

Eric took a moment to let it sink in as he turned to look back at the house they were pulled up in front of. "What do the other numbers mean?" He wasn't sure he really wanted to know but it did put things into perspective.

Jake looked out Eric's window and replied, "Well, the zero is the number they found alive."

"And the two?"

Sari finally spoke in that quiet tone she had when she was deadly serious, "The number of dead."

It certainly drove the reality home that they really were living in a world where the norm was the worst case scenario. Eric swallowed slightly at Sari's quiet declaration as Jake adjusted to continue driving towards the hospital. He looked at his brother and tried to look at Sari out of the corner of his eye. The way they were acting… they certainly knew that something was up and it had to do with the time they had been away. It was a bit unnerving but welcome that what was previously unknown was going to be the thing that got them through this.

Jake was silent as he continued to drive to the hospital and glanced at the rearview mirror to watch Sari. He knew that she was either unnerved to another emotion that he wasn't sure of. He asked her in Arabic, "You okay?"

Sari turned from looking out the window to look at Jake's gaze in the rearview mirror. So he did remember what she had taught him. She gave a slight smile and replied back the response that he would be familiar with. She watched as Jake's expression shifted to a grin and she grinned back before turning to look out the window and keep an eye out as they pulled up to the hospital where the emergency room was.

"Okay, we're going to go in, we're going to get the medicine and we're going to get out," Jake laid out the plan as he looked around before shutting off the engine and getting out.

"Okay," Eric replied. It was like following Jake's lead when they were kids again but this was a serious matter.

Sari got out and pulled her rifle out and checked to make sure that her pistol was on her. She had a couple of other odds and ends but nothing to indicate she had a few things that would confirm any suspicions that Hawkins had of her. She glanced at Jake with a firm look and nodded, indicating that she was going to follow his lead. She held her rifle to be at the ready as she looked around while Eric read from a flyer from FEMA about the radioactive fallout from Lawrence contaminating the water table in this region.

"I guess it's why this place is empty," Eric offered as an explanation.

It was a good one and a plausible one. Sari turned towards their six to check it when she heard the first shot. She whirled around as Eric and Jake ducked to avoid being a bigger target. She gestured, "Go, go, go!"

She covered their six as they ran towards the building to be flush against it. Eric was wondering where it was coming from as he pressed his back against the building. Jake was taking point as he looked around to make sure it was clear for them to move. They had to get inside. There was cover inside and they would be able to determine where the shooting was coming from. Jake gestured at his brother and said, "Stay close."

"And stay low," Sari added a she nodded at Jake. She held her rifle at the ready and turned to make sure they weren't going to get flanked. "Take point JJ."

Jake gave a wry grin at Sari as he led the way to the door. He stacked up on the door and nodded at Eric that he was going in. Eric was right behind him followed by Sari. Jake felt the familiar tension cross his frame. It brought back memories of being over there as he led the way through the first floor of the hospital.

The first thing that he noticed was all the gurneys and hospital equipment being strewn about. He turned slightly and saw the one thing that made his blood run cold. He swallowed when Eric commented, "Oh my God. What happened here?"

Jake pressed against the wall seeing them and felt his throat convulse slightly. He looked at Eric as he joined him. Sari was a little slow but she was providing cover. She asked them both, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Eric replied with a nod and trying to slow his breathing. "Where do you think those shots came from?" He panted slightly as he tried to catch his breath and felt a little put out that Sari was looking so calm about it but her eyes held concern.

"Top floor," Sari replied as she kept her gaze on Jake. She had seen his reaction to the bullet holes in the wall and in truth, she felt the same way. She gestured towards the roof as she looked around the floor.

"Who the hell would be shooting at us?" Eric narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out why things were happening the way they were.

Jake had calmed down enough and it was easy to since Sari was giving him that look. He replied, "I don't know." That was a lie. He had some idea but since this was not exactly as he remembered it… "If they have any Cipro, it's probably upstairs."

"More likely," Sari agreed. She gave Jake a signal and she adjusted her rifle quietly.

Jake nodded and turned with his shotgun up and Eric followed. They needed to move quickly but they needed to be cautious. He cringed when Eric moved forward and tripped and landed on the floor to find the ground littered with dead bodies. His eyes widened slightly as he took a kneeing position since he had heard the clink of brass on the ground and bent over to investigate.

Sari moved forward and grabbed Eric by the arm and helped him up and kneeled next to him and Jake. She looked at the hallway. This was way too familiar for her and she was certain that Jake could see that as well. She lifted her rifle to cover while Jake inspected the shell casing he had picked up.

"A .556. From an automatic weapon," Jake held up the shell casing for Eric to look at.

"Maybe they belong to these guys," Eric gestured at the dead men wearing tactical gear. "I didn't know Rogue River had a SWAT team."

Jake looked at his brother with the feeling that he knew what it was that did this. "They don't," he replied as he moved to inspect the downed man. "These guys aren't cops. They're government contractors. A private army. A firm called Ravenwood."

Sari tensed at that and made a slight sound in her throat. She didn't realize that Jake had heard it and glanced at her while Eric asked, "What are mercenaries doing in Kansas?"

Sari muttered, "Same thing they've been doing in Iraq and New Orleans." She shifted to look at Eric and continued her explanation, "The US military has been stretched thin the past few years and mercenaries became something of a commodity. And a blight on every operation."

Jake cleared his throat as he said, "The real question is: did they kill these people?"

It was a lot to take in and Eric tried not to vomit at the possibility that Jake suggested. A glance at Sari told him that she knew this mercenary group particularly and didn't hold them in high regard. It told him that they weren't the type of people to take with open arms. He didn't like the situation at all. Taking a couple of breaths he looked at his brother and said, "Let's just get the drugs and go." His look was almost begging.

Jake knew that it wasn't a good situation and hard to digest. He hadn't missed the contempt in Sari's tone and he bit down the possibility of her reaction if she knew what he had done. He turned his attention to his brother and nodded, "All right. You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Sari?"

"Got your six, JJ."

Jake took a breath and moved to a standing position and took point as he made his way down the hall. He was aware that he was possibly outgunned since he only had a shot gun but it was better than nothing and Eric was a fairly good shot and he knew Sari knew how to shoot. He was concerned about Eric though. Shooting at a thing like a deer was way different from pointing and shooting at a human being armed with the knowledge that you had to shoot to kill in order to survive. He knew that feeling had had to learn how to deal and now he was dead on certain that Sari knew that too and he felt guilty for that.

Eric kept up with Jake while trying to keep his breathing under control. He had never seen that many dead bodies, not since the radiation poisoning victims, in one place and the fact that they had been shot and in a hospital of all places… It was enough to unnerve him and had him wondering exactly what and who they were dealing with. He didn't want to think of the possibility that the mercenaries that had been hired by the US government had killed all those people down there. The idea made him feel sick.

"Hey, you okay?"

Eric paused when he felt Sari's hand on his shoulder and her soft voice asking the question. It was a complete contrast to the Sari that took charge of the sheriff's station and kept law and order in town. It was why people had a hard time believing that she had been in a war zone; she was still the gentle girl that had left meaning that she hadn't lost her humanity. He looked at her and said, "I just… can't help… but think that…" He gestured at the floors, trying to ignore the blood and the dead bodies and the chaos that was there.

Sari gave Eric's shoulder a gentle squeeze. She could be cruel and say that it was one of the mercenary groups but Eric was not like Jake and he had not seen the horrors of war as it was called like they had. "Eye on the prize. We are here for the medicine. That is our goal."

Eric nodded at that. "Right."

Sari gave a slight smile as she patted Eric and pushed him forward. She brought her rifle up and continued to do her assigned role of covering their flank. So far they hadn't run into trouble and she prayed that their streak of luck would continue long enough for them to at least grab what they needed. The rest would follow.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"I spent a year and a half in the Green Zone running a supply down Route Irish to BIAP," Jake replied as he held his hands up in surrender and wondering why Sari was being so foolish.

They had made it to the stairs and looked up to see if there was an ambush. They had gotten hit with a flashbang and their shooter threatened to kill them and told them to go away. Jake knew they didn't have time to go another way or look for another town. They had to do this now. So he walked up the stairs followed by Eric and they held up their hands in surrender. Sari was another story.

She had followed them but refused to raise her hands. Instead she narrowed her eyes and looked at their shooter and barked out something that sounded foreign to Jake but it was clear that the shooter understood. It had Jake wondering if she had met a few Ravenwood. As soon as he revealed himself albeit reluctantly, she added, "And I was there spec ops in the Green Zone and some work in Afghan."

The shooter looked at them and Jake felt nervous since Sari wasn't indicating that she was going to surrender. She just stood almost like she was daring him. He answered the guy's question, "No, I just drove a truck for another contractor but I met a lot of Ravenwood guys. Where were you?"

"Fallujah," Sari and the shooter announced simultaneously.

Jake felt his breath hitch at that as the shooter looked at Sari and took a step closer. He could disarm the guy if he had to but he wasn't going to risk it even though it irked him that he was standing way too close for his liking to Sari. The shooter peered at her and then nodded, "I remember you. You were there."

Sari looked at the Ravenwood mercenary. She blinked solemnly and said, "Yes."

Jake knew he had to do something since he wasn't sure how this guy was going to react. He commented, "Man, and I thought I had it bad."

The Ravenwood mercenary looked at Jake and then at Sari. His lips twitched as he admitted, "I thought it was the worst thing I'd ever live through… till now."

"Yeah now is really the shits," Sari replied standing there. She looked at the mercenary and she moved her head ever so slightly. "Though I can't say much for that one village that was a friendly."

The Ravenwood mercenary eyed Sari. He nodded in agreement, "And that was a mistake."

"It was and it seemed to have repeated itself," Sari replied as she took a step forward. "Mind putting that down?"

Jake had to resist rushing in and he could sense that Eric wanted to as well. This was beyond the crazy shit he and Sari used to do when they were kids. At this point it looked like the Ravenwood guy was going to shoot her but he hadn't so far and he figured it was because they knew each other. He had to help somehow. "Look, we're just here for medicine and we don't have a lot of time. This is my brother Eric and I'm Jake. And that's…"

"Captain Hassan," the Ravenwood mercenary answered, "I know who she is. And I know what she tried to have done."

Jake thought he was going to shoot Sari at that moment and readied to move. He paused when the mercenary continued, "And I wish the brass listened to her." He lowered his gun as he looked at her. He took a deep breath and introduced himself, "Randy Payton."

"Nice to put a name to a face, Payton," Sari replied. She didn't smile but gave an acknowledging nod.

"And nice to meet in person," Payton replied with a slight grin as he hobbled forward to make sure that Jake and Eric didn't have anything that could be threatening. "The one who actually chewed out a commander of Ravenwood." He looked at Jake and Eric and turned, gesturing, "I'll take you to see the doc."

Sari felt her lip twitch as Payton hobbled past her to lead the way. She remembered him well from Fallujah. He was one of the ones she held out hope for in terms of humanity. It seemed that she might be right on this one but not the fairy tail ending of sorts.

"You've been holding out on me?"

Sari glanced at Jake and replied, "No more than you have me. Believe me there are a lot of things I want to forget about Iraq and Afghan." She moved to walk faster but was slowed when she felt Jake's grip on her forearm. She looked up and saw the look on his face.

"What were you thinking?"

"Going with a hunch." She didn't want to say that she just did it because she wasn't going to waste time with this guy. It had been foolish but she had been listening to the conversation and the voice had sounded familiar. She decided to go on the hunch and she wasn't one to be intimidated so easily. "I recognized the voice."

"That was stupid," Jake countered. "He could have killed you."

"That was a possibility."

Jake stopped them and shot Sari a glare. "And the Sari I know wouldn't do something stupid as that. She wouldn't risk getting herself killed on a hunch."

"And what about you huh?" Sari narrowed her eyes back. "You don't think that some of things you've done the past month have been stupid? You're just lucky I backed you up on them because they made sense. You know my record Jake. So you know I've seen a bit and things you don't want me to know."

There was a slight pause until Sari gently but firmly removed Jake's hand from her arm. She turned to join Payton so they didn't get too far behind. Jake felt his throat quiver from swallowing back a retort that would have been a low blow and said out of anger. Didn't she even see how foolish that was? How scared he was that she could have died and he wouldn't be able to stop it?

"Seems we all underestimated Sari," Eric said as he passed his brother.

Jake glared at Eric and moved to keep up, keeping Sari in his sights at all times as she kept a close distance from Payton. He didn't trust the guy and since he had no guns or weapons it was not going to be in his favor if he tried something.

"You're in pretty bad shape Payton." Sari had kept an easy pace with Payton and decided to make small talk with him.

"Morphine and instant coffee are the only things keeping me standing," Payton choked out in a dry chuckle.

"Instant coffee I get even though I prefer that slop in the barracks," Sari replied with a slight smile. "Still it worked when we needed it the most."

Payton couldn't help but chuckle in agreement and Sari did the same. Payton was surprised to see the captain that could have ended Ravenwood; she had the evidence. And he knew that she didn't accept bullshit and that she had a low opinion of mercenaries like him but she was a good soldier. And he heard about what she had done with that missionary school. He could trust her.

"Why are you in Kansas?" Jake had managed to catch up with Eric. Ignoring unnamed reasons for keeping the mercenary away from Sari, he focused on trying to get information about what was going on outside of Jericho.

"Not enough National Guard," Payton explained," Homeland Security hired us. Brought us in to protect the governor of Nebraska."

"Wait. The governor's alive?"

"Don't know."

That wasn't a good sign for anyone. Even though Ravenwood had been brought in for security purposes it seemed that there was chaos even within the government and that is if there was one standing. Jake had wanted to hold onto the hope that there were other places and representatives of the federal government that were still around to try and get in touch with. He had accepted that he and the people of Jericho were going to be on their own for a long time. But still if there was some sort of government that they could reach out for help… But it seemed that was being dashed to the ground.

"When we landed, they brought us over here to help FEMA evacuate Rogue River," Payton continued on his explanation.

"Where to?" Jake looked at Eric and Sari. They had been wondering where all the people had gone. If this guy knew then at least they could try and make some contact or bring back news to town. Jake shifted his gaze to Payton.

"FEMA set up a tent city in a Wal-Mart parking lot a few miles north of here," Payton replied, panting as he limped. He took in a couple of deep breaths, well aware that he could be overpowered because of his injuries. So far they hadn't taken advantage of that.

Payton's answer explained a lot about what Rogue River was a ghost town but there was still the nagging question. And that was what happened to all the people here in the hospital. It was the question that nobody wanted to ask but it had to be done and Jake asked, "What happened to these people?"

Payton limped past the bodies but he couldn't stop the reaction of regret as he explained who they were, "These are the ones that couldn't be moved. Too old. Too sick." He paused and looked down at the corpses and his throat quivered.

Eric had been silent the entire time knowing that the tension was mostly between Sari and Jake and they were going to have to work it out one way or another. Now, he couldn't keep silent any longer and asked, "So you just killed them?"

"No," Payton replied, shaking his head vehemently. "Not me. We tried to move them but the doctors wouldn't allow it." He looked at Jake and Sari, aware that tears were starting to form. "There were so many of them. Crying out. Begging. The guys, they just wanted to come in, and take the medicine and leave, but the doctors started arguing with them and one of our guys… He just snapped. He started firing. Before I knew it, they all emptied their weapons."

Eric couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you do something?"

Sari held up her arm to warm Eric back as Payton shot his head up and narrowed his eyes. "How do you think I got shot?" He frowned at them wondering how they didn't get that. "They left me for dead like everyone else."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"You need an intravenous drug. It's called Levaquin. It's back at the ICU."

Sari looked at the doctor and as he said that then at Jake. This was going to be a difficult situation. The kind that involved shooting first and not asking questions at all. And that was from a long memory that wasn't even that too long ago.

Ravenwood had returned to Rogue River and Payton had to be stupid and pop off a few rounds. Not that it would have made a difference anyway. Sari remembered how they acted over there and from what Payton had told her, it seemed that nothing much had changed. And if that were the case, the leader of this unit would probably look down at her if she tried that thing she did with Payton.

Eric managed to grab the Cipro and they hid while Ravenwood did a sweep of the floor. That was until Kenchy told them that Cipro wasn't going to do Johnston Green any good because he was in septic shock. It was as the doctor said, they had to go back and get the other drug in order to save him. Sari looked at Jake and he looked at the doctor and asked, "What's it look like?"

"It's a clear bottle, purple label. You'll need syringes."

Sari looked at Jake and they silently spoke to each other going over their options. Eric recognized that look and could guess that they were planning something. It was always a marvel that they could understand each other without saying the words and still get the message about who was doing what. He said, "Jake, this is nuts. We can't go back there."

Jake looked at his brother and could see the fear in his eyes. He was scared too but they had come too far to quit now. Not with his father's life on the line and he knew that Sari was in the same mindset. He replied, "Well, we can't take the chance we have the wrong medicine."

"What, we gonna shoot our way through?" Eric looked at his brother and silently asking if he was being serious.

"If we have to," Sari replied looking at Eric. "That is if we had the manpower and firepower. Even then we would have to play it smart." She looked at everyone else. "Either way, we need to get the meds, and we still have to get past them."

"I'm with you," Payton said as he looked at Sari and Jake. He gestured at her and added, "I've heard of her reputation," and grinned.

Jake accepted that as he heard Sari give a slight cough. Now was not the time to get into this. He looked at Eric and asked, "Are you with me or not?"

It was a couple of tense moments as Sari, Jake and Payton looked at Eric as he came to his decision. Payton made the move and removed his pistol from his holster and held it out to Eric. Sari looked at Eric and said, "Eric, this is not going to be a simple walkout. There may be some shooting but we have to get out otherwise your dad won't have a chance. Please."

Eric looked at his brother and then Sari before taking the pistol from Payton. "Okay. But we need a plan."

"Did you think we'd do it without one?" Sari gave a slight grin at Eric that was teasing him. "I thought you knew me better than that. JJ certainly does."

Jake tried to keep the chuckle in and moved his lips. Sari was right on that point. Besides, he wasn't going to be foolish and go in guns blazing. That was stupid and certainly going to get them all killed. He was curious to see his partner's skills in action after everything she had been through. Back when they were in school she always saw the flaws in their games and plans and would fix it. Granted this was different but… "You got an idea, princess?"

Sari looked around at what they had available where they were hiding. There wasn't much to work with. She looked at Jake and said, "Well we can't just walk by with guns in our hands. They'd shoot us on sight. So what do we have that they would point a gun but not shoot?"

Jake thought about it and then came with an idea. He nodded, "You may be right."

It was moments later that they had Eric in a doctor's coat and heading back towards the ICU. Sari was by him, reiterating the plan, "So you go in, pretend to get what you need and put the meds and the syringes in the pack."

"Maybe you should be doing this," Eric said, feeling nervous. "You're the one that knows more about this like Jake."

"They'd recognize her like I did," Payton offered, "And let's just say she's not a popular favorite. Even the ones that haven't met her."

"Yeah that," Sari agreed. "Besides you look like doctor. Nice guy and nice manners. Just follow the plan. Believe in the role." She gave Eric a pat on the shoulder.

Eric looked at her like she was crazy for saying that but there was little choice. This was the plan they had come up with. He still thought he was not the best choice but he would do what he could. He just wasn't sure if they would buy it. That was what had him terrified; that they would figure out what he was up to and just kill him. Looking at Sari, he took in her look of confidence, the one that said she believed that he could do it and nodded. Taking a deep breath, he took the plunge and moved forward.

He walked towards the room where the Ravenwood mercenaries were busy looting. Taking a breath and swallowing back his fear, he lifted his hands in surrender and walked out slowly saying, "Don't shoot."

The reaction was fast. Eric didn't think that he would have so many guns pointed at him. If he looked down, he would see the laser targeting lights honing in on the center mass. If they pulled the trigger… He continued, "I'm a doctor. I'm unarmed."

"On your knees."

 _Do what they tell you to do._

Eric swallowed as he slowly sank to his knees. He knew that if he didn't make himself a threat and complied, they wouldn't shoot him. And that was if they were following the rules of engagement. Given what he had seen and been told…

"Who are you?"

Eric knew better not to give his name up. He also had to play the role of doctor. He glanced over at the injured man and said, "I can help your friend."

There was a long silence as the guns were still pointed at Eric. Then the leader asked, "What's your name?"

Eric wanted to answer but the fear held him back. It wasn't helping that he had at least four rifles pointing at him and by trained shooters. He could feel the adrenaline course through his body and the sweat starting to build.

"What's your name? Don't make me ask you again!"

Eric jumped at the barked order and replied, "E-Eric. Eric Green. I'm a doctor. The Red Cross brought me here." He took a quick breath but slowed so he didn't hyperventilate. That wouldn't help them.

"To shoot at me?"

Eric shook his head slightly, "That wasn't me."

"Who was it? The guys in that muscle car?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Where are they?"

Eric remained silent. He had told them that he didn't know what they were talking about but it was starting to look like they weren't buying it. He took a deep breath and looked away.

"Where are they?"

Looking back at the group, Eric noticed that the leader was starting to look through his sights. That didn't spell good for him if he didn't give them anything. Sighing, he gave up what he was supposed to, "They're in the therapy room downstairs. There's three or four of them."

The leader studied Eric before barking out the order to go find them and lowered his weapon slightly but not all the all the way. That was sort of good but not completely. But it was easier to gain rapport with one gun pointing at you than four or five. He gestured once more at the wounded man who was looking at him, "Your man lost a lot of blood. I can help him."

That seemed to work since the leader barked, "Get up."

Eric got to his feet slowly since the gun was still pointed at him. It was a good sign that he was told to move towards the wounded man but he wasn't out of the woods yet. He watched as the leader stripped the wounded man of his vest. Once it was off, he said, "All right we need something to cut his shirt." He interrupted when the leader brought out his knife, "Uh, s-something sterile."

Eric had no idea what he was doing even though his wife was a doctor. He didn't know all the details of treating a gunshot wound but he did have common sense working for him. Like the need to have sterile materials to reduce the risk of infection. At least that worked in his favor as the leader walked away to look for supplies. It was his chance to look for the medicine and he took it.

He walked over to the shelves and started looking for the medicine they needed while pulling random bottles to hide his true purpose. He kept an eye out for the exact bottles that he was looking for and prayed silently that this ruse would hold up. This was not like the time he and Jake set fire to his father's office. That wild story wouldn't have flown. This was better but it all depended upon him convincing Ravenwood that he was who he said he was.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Eric tried not to jump as he glanced back at the two mercenaries. He replied, "I'm just getting something for the pain."

"He can handle the pain. Just get to work."

At least the guy wasn't shooting at him or investigating what he was doing too closely. But Eric didn't have a whole lot of time to look any further. He had to find the medicine and fast before they got suspicious. It was just luck that the next box he grabbed was what he needed. It was now or never. He picked it up and started to hug it to his chest when he glanced over and saw the next part of the plan and that was Jake.

Eric ducked and waited for his chance as Jake fired upon the Ravenwood mercenaries to provide cover fire and a distraction. He took his chance when his brother made a sound in his shout. He kept low as he made his way to where Jake had come in and where Sari was waiting to lead the way out while Jake provided cover.

"Come on Eric, go!"

Eric ran past Sari as she stood by waiting with her gun at the ready. He headed to where Payton was covering their escape and ran past him. He was scared shitless but he still had enough sense to hope that his brother and his friend made it out. He joined Kenchy in the car and turned to watch and see Sari come out and get into the driver's seat.

Eric thought Jake could be reckless with driving but being passenger to Sari's driving was going on a rollercoaster that produced a thrill and a chill. She turned into the fast and furious as she gunned it towards the emergency entrance just as Jake came barreling out with his shotgun. He shouted, "Where's Payton?"

"He's not coming," was all Jake said.

Eric blinked as Sari gave a slight sigh before she gunned the car's engine and took off. He didn't look back the moment that gunfire erupted. There was no need to ask further questions. He knew that Payton wasn't going to make it.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Ryan sat on the steps near the second landing of the staircase and looked out the window at the darkening sky. She had been there since late afternoon after she left when April came in. She watched as Gail went up the stairs to check on her husband and heard slight sounds. That had her running up the stairs and going in to check on the mayor.

Instead she found Gail and April hugging. They were smiling but it was saddened. It had her curious and when she asked, they told her. It made her pray that her sister and Jake and Eric come back with the medicine all the more. She had been praying there on the steps and hugging her knees. It made her argument with Sari seem petty. There were more important things to worry about.

It was getting dark and Ryan was getting worried. She knew that it was over 200 miles to Rogue River and that was a long distance. It would take about three hours or so driving at a steady pace and assuming that there were no obstacles in the way. She hated to think that they had run into trouble. As much as she had faith that her JJ would keep her sister safe, and that Sari would do what she could, she was scared of the possibility that something would happen to her sister and then she would truly be alone.

Unbidden, tears began to rise at the thought. In an effort to quench them, she buried her head in her knees and let the cloth from her jeans soak them up. "Please come home Sari," she whispered.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting like that. She was aware that Heather and Emily had gone up and down with the ice that Heather managed to make and Gail tried to get her to eat but she wasn't hungry. She just wanted the people she loved home and that thought was going through her head when she heard it.

The rumble of the engine that she had heard when Jake first pulled up. She lifted her head when she heard Emily and Heather come running down the stairs just as Jake and Eric burst through the door. She stayed where she was to avoid being trampled as Jake asked, "Is he?"

"Barely. Just go," Emily reported and moved aside to let Jake and Eric charge up the stairs with the medicine followed closely by another doctor.

Ryan looked at them and then noticed that Sari wasn't with them. She turned towards the door and looked for her sister, trying hard not to expect the worst. She stood up and looked at the door, past Emily and Heather as they were looking in the direction of the stairs. Where was her sister?

It was a drop of relief that fell when Sari walked through the door looking tired and carrying the rifle and shotguns she had brought. Ryan smiled big and ran towards her sister and gave her a big hug, squeezing her for all she was worth. "You're okay."

Sari wrapped her arms around her sister even though her hands were full with guns and returned the hug. "Told you I would be," she replied with a slight smile. "Are you okay?"

Ryan frowned at that since she was sure that her sister would have asked about Mayor Green first but she didn't. "I'm fine. It's Mayor Green you should be worried about."

"No, I'm worried about you. I left you alone all day," Sari replied as she looked down at her sister. "We were supposed to do something today."

"That's nothing," Ryan brushed it aside. She stood back and looked at her sister. There was something off about her. Something happened while they were at Rogue River and from the looks of things, it wasn't good. "Mayor Green is sick and… I don't want him to die."

Sari looked at Ryan and smiled gently before shifting the rifle to her other hand to ruffle Ryan's hair. "It'll be okay. He won't die,"

Ryan took in her sister's words. It wasn't like her to make a promise like that. She would say that it would be okay and leave it at that. It was her way of saying that no matter what things were going to work out. Here, it seemed like for once she was making a promise and one that could go either way. She didn't want her sister to start making promises that she couldn't keep. "Don't make promises like that."

"It will be that," came the reply full of calm and confidence.

Ryan released her sister and looked at her. Her sister had to be exhausted. That was why she was making these weird statements. She took the guns, not afraid of rebuke since she had been taught how to handle them and set them down. She started to tug on her sister to lead her to the couch but changed her mind and started tugging her up the stairs. "Come on. I know you want to see him."

Ryan was pleased that her sister was going to follow her up the stairs. She got the feeling that seeing Mayor Green would be a step in reassurance and maybe it would help with Sari's promise that he was going to be okay. She jogged up the stairs while her sister followed at a leisurely pace but still a quick pace up the stairs and headed toward the room where she had spent a lot of her day in. She stopped at the door and moved to let her sister come in.

"This is Levaquin," Kenchy was saying and explaining how it should be able to help.

Ryan heard the explanation as she lingered by the door. She looked over and found that Sari hadn't gone in but was lingering by the door as well. She looked at her sister's profile as she crossed her arms over her chest and observed the proceedings. She frowned at her sister's behavior since she knew that her sister was closer to the Greens than she was and she had heard the stories of her and Jake and Eric and some of the other adults in town.

"You're gonna be okay, dad."

Ryan looked into the room as she heard Jake say those words and watched. It was dark and the only light in the house was the lantern but she saw the slight movement from Mayor Green. Maybe that was all that was needed. It certainly was for her sister since Sari turned and quietly went down the stairs. Ryan watched as her sister went down the stairs. When she turned to look back, she caught Jake looking in the direction her sister had gone with a peculiar look on his face. It had her wondering about it and noticed that Jake continued to look as he stepped back but didn't follow.

Not wanting to interfere, she waited until his back was turned before slipping down the stairs to the living room. She looked around for her sister and found her sitting in the dark with her elbows resting on her knees and hands clasped together. Her chin was resting on her clasped hands and Ryan saw the look of relief on her face as she stared into the darkness and tears brimming. Ryan blinked at the sight little knowing that it was the result of some tension between her sister and Jake.

It was tempting to go to sit by her sister but Ryan decided against it. With the sudden insight of wisdom she received, she realized that her sister just needed to vent and relieve her feelings. People forgot that she was a person too and all they saw was the person that kept their town from going into chaos. The one who brought back some law and order and wasn't afraid to step up and stand up to people that she believed were going to ruin that. She saw her sister that was indomitable but forgot that she had feelings too and she had been torn by this and other decisions she had to make. And maybe no everyone was going to agree but Ryan knew that her sister was doing the best that she could and then some.

Leaving her sister alone, she went back to the stairs and sat on the bottom steps. There was nothing else to do so she sat there quietly until she was joined by Jake. She watched as he took a seat beside her and take a deep sigh of relief. It was probably rhetorical but she asked, "Is he gonna be okay?"

Jake looked at Ryan. "Yeah," he answered with a slight smile. He looked around and asked, "Where's your sister?"

Ryan wasn't sure how to answer that. She could let him know and let it go from there but she was also loyal to her sister. Maybe she didn't want to talk to anyone yet. She finally let out, "She's in the living room. You wanna talk to her?"

"No," Jake answered quickly, "I'll leave her alone."

Ryan wasn't sure about that answer. Part of her didn't like it but when she watched him shuffle in his seat, it made her more curious. She offered, "She seemed a little… I don't know like she wasn't letting it sink in until now."

"A lot happened today." Jake looked down at his hands. "She… she was amazing today." He then went silent and looked down at the table.

Ryan just sat there and folded her arms over her knees and rested her chin on them. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask what happened but she got the feeling that Jake was going to say that she was too young to be hearing that. So she was quiet and gently leaned against Jake, staring at nothing in particular until she felt a slight squeeze from his arm as he wrapped it around her. She muttered, "Glad you're back JJ."

Ryan heard him say something but she saw Emily and Heather and sat up immediately. She stood up from her spot and left to go into the kitchen, not seeing the look that Jake gave her. She did hear him thank Heather for staying with his mother and from there it was small talk so she went and joined her sister on the couch. "Everything okay?"

"I should be asking you that," Sari replied as she smiled at her sister. She opened her arm to let her sister curl up into her.

"JJ said he was going to be okay," Ryan replied as she tried to stifle a yawn. The events of the day were making her tired as the adrenaline was dying down.

"Usually what he says goes," Sari nodded in agreement. She paused a moment before saying, "And you were pretty good yourself from what I heard."

"It was nothing," Ryan said. She didn't think that talking to the mayor was of any help to anyone. She basically just kept out of the way of everyone.

"Sometimes being there is enough," Sari replied. She looked at her sister as she stroked her hair, watching Ryan fall asleep. "Just being there, being the calm one, reassuring… it does a lot more than what most people realize."

Sari continued to stroke Ryan's hair, not minding if her sister heard her or not, letting her sleep. She probably should wake her so they could go home but she decided against it. It wasn't like Gail was going to kick her out and she wouldn't if Ryan was fast asleep. Besides, she just wanted to be there just in case she was needed.

She didn't move except to turn when she heard Eric admit he was in love with Mary Bailey. She chuckled at that. Like that was well hidden. She knew they couldn't really see her and she wasn't inclined to make her presence known. So she remained quiet until she heard something that made her blood run cold.

"Jake I left my jacket back there. The wallet is in the jacket… the address. What if those guys come here?"

"Those guys are dead. Payton took care of it."

Sari knew it was more to reassure Eric and not send him into a panic. In truth… more likely they killed Payton. And if that were the case… that would mean that they would know that Jericho was on the map. And that meant they would come here. She looked up when Jake came into the living room, looking surprised that she was there but didn't say anything as he moved to open the shutters. She eased Ryan off her and down on the couch and stood up. She went to where her rifle and shotgun were laid down and picked up the rifle.

Turning towards Jake she looked at him full on so that he knew that she had heard about what Eric had said. She held up her rifle and nodded and received one in return. She joined Jake to sit on the back of the couch. It was going to be a long night but they were in agreement that they were not going to let anything happen to their town.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Stanley Richmond was a hometown boy of Jericho through and through. He had grown up there and took over the family farm and looked after his younger sister. And in these times he was determined to protect what he had and those he cared about, including his friends. He was loyal.

The night before he had been woken up when he heard someone trying to gain access to his gas tank. He grabbed his rifle, prepared to shoot at thieves and demanded who it was that was at his pump. The guy told him that they were with the US government and while that sounded like welcome news, something told Stanley that there was something not right about the situation. It was further confirmed when the guy said that Eric Green was a friend.

Stanley knew that Eric was friends with most everyone in town and being the kind of people they were, they introduced people to each other. And he didn't recognize this guy that was dressed in military gear. Being loyal, he denied anything but he was going to take it a step further and warn Jake and Eric as well as Sari since she was the sheriff.

As soon as they were gone, he got dressed, got Bonnie and Mimi dressed and headed to town. First he had to get a hold of Sari and went to her house. There was no one there after he knocked and nothing happened. At least Ryan would have been up. Since there was no one, there was only one place to go and Stanley made a beeline to the Green house and knocked on the door.

It was a bit of a surprise to find Jake and Sari with guns and ready to use them but he got the feeling that they were on the same page. Something was going on and it more than likely had something to do with that guy that came around the farm last night. He looked at Eric as he came in and then at Jake and Sari and said, "Sorry to come by so early."

"We were awake," Jake replied a bit tired as he watched Bonnie, Mimi and Stanley enter the house. He felt tired but it seemed that he wasn't going to be able to rest. "What's up?"

"Some guys showed up at the farm last night," Stanley began without preamble, "Couple Humvees, guns… They knew Eric's name." He looked at Sari and added, "Thought I'd tell you since…"

"Ravenwood," Eric muttered as he looked at his brother and Sari.

"Who?" Stanley looked at the group, not liking where this was going. He hoped that someone was going to explain what was going on.

"Mercenaries," Sari explained as she shifted to stretch. "We ran into them in Rogue River."

Jake took a breath and went to peek out the window in the door. He was hoping this wouldn't happen but it just wasn't in the cards. After what they did in Rogue River… it was only a matter of time before Ravenwood would head this way.

Stanley looked at Jake and then Sari before asking, "Okay, well, what the hell do they want?"

Jake looked out the window, not sure how to answer that. Finally he said, "Everything." That was the truth of the matter. Payton told them as much; they would take everything if it wasn't bolted or nailed down.

Sari knew that now was a time to prepare. As much as she could spew a liturgy on the sins of Ravenwood, the first order of business was to organize the town's defenses and inform her deputies. She glanced over at the couch where Ryan was still sleeping and sighed. Just another day at the office and it was a problem she brought back. She turned towards the group, "Okay, we need to get organized. Stanley, Eric, Jake, come with me to the sheriff's station. If we're going to do anything, we need to bring our deputies on board."

Jake glanced back at Sari as she stood there with a serious expression in her eye. He held onto his gun and nodded, "Okay."

Sari nodded and then looked at the other two men and got their responses. She turned to look at Bonnie and Mimi and said, "You two should stay here for now." She then signed something to Bonnie and received a nod in return. She turned and walked over to where her other guns were and gestured, "Come on."

If someone were to tell Stanley or Jake five years ago that they were going to be ordered about by Sari, they would have laughed at that and claimed that she asked them to do it. Now, it was clear that she was issuing an order and would brook no disobedience. It was stupid anyway since she had been appointed to legal authority and given the state of things… So no word was said as the three men followed her out the door and headed towards the sheriff's station.

Even though it was early, Jimmy and Bill were already there. Sari greeted them with a tired smile and asked them to get the other deputies here. She didn't include Gray since that man just liked to but his way into things and she wasn't in a mood to deal with him. But if he stepped on her toes, she would let him have it. She still was upset that he would risk civilians like he did with the Mitch Cafferty incident. It made her clamp down on vigilantism and made it clear that taking the law into their own hands was not to be tolerated.

It didn't take long for Gray or Hawkins to join them. Sari glanced at Hawkins and made eye contact with him. She didn't trust him fully but she was wary. The man knew things and he was willing to help but she suspected that he had a hidden agenda. And she didn't like the fact that he seemed to know a few things about her. She brushed it aside and turned her attention to the group, "Alright, we have a situation. Stanley?"

Stanley reiterated what happened the night before and gave the name of the group that was coming. It had Bill ask, "Ravenwood? What the hell is that?"

Jake explained, "A private security firm. They hire thugs and army dropouts. They give them big guns and send them out to play soldier." It was a lot simpler than what he had told Eric but they didn't need to know that.

"What are they doing in Kansas?" Jimmy looked at Jake and then at Sari who was standing there with a firm.

Sari spoke, "FEMA hired them to evacuate Rogue River. But now they're in business for themselves and they are going to use the premise that the federal government hired them to get what they want." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the group.

"Thy stripped the town of all their supplies. They killed police and civilians," Eric added. It was still a lot to digest what he had seen and what happened.

Sari watched the group and noted their expressions. She was just as scared as they were but she couldn't allow it to show. If she was going to lead these people in defense of Jericho, she needed to be strong. She watched as Gray leaned over and asked Hawkins if he had heard of the mercenary group. She stared at Hawkins as he listened. She didn't divert her attention from the other conversation and said, "More likely the guys at the Richmond farm were scouts."

Jake nodded since that was the more likely, "More likely to know if we are worth a hit." He knew though that they would come to Jericho because it was still standing and had things considered useful.

"We should fortify just in case," Hawkins interjected. "Shore up our borders at the most vulnerable points."

"Already there," Gray clarified, "I ordered armed checkpoints." He glanced at Sari almost apologetically since he technically did overstep and may have trampled on her authority. "On Cherry Valley Road and Route 660."

"Checkpoints?" Eric looked at Gray.

"Yeah, keep track of who's coming into town," Gray replied. He glanced at the three looking at him. Sari's was the most condemning if it could be that. "The mayor was sick, you were gone, the sheriff," he gestured at Sari, "I figured it shouldn't wait."

"Unfortunately that was going to be a plan," Sari replied, "No point in going into an argument. We need to think about other points of access and make appropriations there."

Jake thought about it and offered, "They will probably come from the easy across the Tacoma Bridge. I think we should block it."

Sari looked at Jake the same time as Stanley did. Stanley was the one that protested, "My farm is on the other side of that bridge. And so is thirty other families."

"Everyone on that side will have to come into town," Jake countered, "It's not safe to stay over there."

"You want me to abandon my farm?" Stanley looked at Jake like he had lost it. That farm was his livelihood and the only means he had of getting it back from the IRS. "Jake, you've got to be kidding me."

"Just for now Stanley," Eric tried to calm the situation down.

Stanley looked at the Green brothers and then at Sari. He would go with her lead since if she determined if something was good or bad, that determined if they followed through on the idea. "Sari?"

Sari studied the group as she silently thought about what to do. Jake was more than likely right in that they would come from the east. They had already been to the Richmond farm. And they would go with what was known. That was the whole point of scouts. The thing was that there were the thirty or so families that were on the other side of that bridge. There was an option that was logical in a military sense but she was not going to go there. "Spread the word to the families on the other side of that bridge. Anyone who can hold a gun and fight will meet at the bridge to shore up and dig in. All civilians will be moved to town until this is over." She looked at Stanley.

It was basically what Jake said but it sounded better when Sari explained it to him. He was willing to go along with it and gave a slight nod. Eric took the opportunity to tell Bill to collect all the ammo they could, whatever people are willing to part with to stockpile.

"I still have some explosives at the mine," Gray offered.

"We'll take whatever you got," Jake replied.

Sari wasn't so sure about that. True they needed whatever they had but she got an uneasy feeling at the mention of explosives. She just hoped it wasn't to do anything that would give real consequences later. She pursed her lips as everyone separated to go do their jobs. She remained in the office deep in thought.

"Seems like everyone has got a head start."

Sari shifted to see Hawkins looking at her with a polite smile. Her expression didn't change as she replied, "I am not liking this situation at all."

"Most folks don't. Especially those that have seen combat like you," Hawkins offered. It was a risk to reveal that much but he got the feeling that Jake and Sari would prove useful in his mission. He just had to be sure when to reveal his true purpose to them.

"And there are those who have seen it that don't think twice," Sari replied giving Hawkins a firm look.

"But you're not like that," Hawkins asserted. He shifted to look at her in the eye. "You're different. The kind that would look for more than the obvious if it meant the greater amount of security and success." He leaned in close and whispered, "You were more than just recovery for schoolteachers, Sari. Or should I say, Captain Hassan?"

Sari narrowed her eyes slightly as she stepped back to look at Hawkins. He had stepped back and looked at her with a slight smile that could be mistaken for smugness. Yet she suspected that wasn't the case. This was more revealing a little bit of what his hand was. She gave a slow smile and replied, "I don't know what you are talking about Hawkins. I was spec ops but I only recovered missionary teachers and built rapport with the occasional mop up of engagements."

Hawkins couldn't help but smile in return. She was good and he couldn't help but admire that. If she wasn't military, she would have made a good field agent. Probably work out better on his team with this. Knowing that he wasn't going to get anything more out of her, he stepped back and with a polite smile he replied, "I'm going to gather some ammo. I know a few of my neighbors that might have some."

Sari watched as he started to leave the office. She halted him but calling out to him. "Hawkins." When he turned to look at her, she added, "It took skill to get the missionary teachers out."

Hawkins nodded at that. It was the only response he was going to get but he realized that she was revealing a little more of her hand as he had his. It was another step forward as he left the sheriff's station to collect what they were going to need. He may be a newcomer but he liked Jericho and he was going to protect it like everyone else.

~0~0~0~0~0~

"They're here!"

Sari looked up and locked and loaded her rifle. She stood up and saw the Humvees coming down the road. She slung the rifle over her shoulders and checked to make sure that her badge and pistol were in view. She gestured for the men advancing to get behind the barrier. She had to agree with Hawkins that it wasn't going to do much but she was in agreement with Jake; that it was better than nothing. She moved and waited for the convoy to get closer. She called out, "Be at the ready but no one fires unless I say so. You got me?"

There were murmurs of agreement and the clicks of guns and rifles being pulled into position. Sari took that as a yes and gestured to get the last of the men behind the barrier and gestured to Jimmy and moved into position just as the Humvees pulled up to a stop. She put her hands on her hips and stood there, surveying the Ravenwood operatives get out of their vehicles.

"Check your positions, check your clips, safeties off," Hawkins called out, "And wait for orders." He wasn't going to step on Sari's toes though he wasn't sure what she was intending as she stood there to greet Ravenwood. It brought to mind when he asked Jake if the man knew when he was in over his head. He could've asked Sari the same question.

"Nobody fires unless Sari gives the word," Jake reminded them.

"Remember the most important thing to do is breathe and squeeze," Hawkins added. He glanced at Jake before bringing his own rifle up and ready to shoot.

Sari stood in front of the barrier with her hands on her hips well aware she was probably causing everyone to think she was crazy but… She was as scared shitless as they were. She prayed that at least they could stall. She eyed the Ravenwood operatives as they got out. She saw the leader get out and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. She thought she recognized him and now she was certain. All the more reason for her not to let his kind into Jericho.

"Somebody here want to talk to me?"

Sari looked at the man as he looked at her. She kept her hand on her hips and in plain view also making it clear that her badge was showing. She studied the man as he stood there. She glanced at the other operatives but didn't say anything.

"Whoever's in charge, this road needs to be cleared."

Finally Sari spoke up, "I'm the sheriff of this town. I'm in charge." She took a couple of steps forward, her gaze not leaving the man in charge of Ravenwood.

Jake felt his breath hitch the moment Sari took her sew steps forward. He hadn't failed to notice the movement of the Ravenwood guys. He knew that she knew that they had itchy trigger fingers. He didn't understand why she was doing this. It made sense that yes she'd talk to them since she was in charge of the sheriff's station even though she only carried a deputy's badge but he thought this was needless. But he knew he had to trust her and he had her back. She was trusting him with that.

"This road needs to be cleared," the leader of Ravenwood repeated. "We're under government orders to collect supplies."

Sari looked at the leader and then turned to look at the barricade. She spoke in a slow drawl, "Well forgive us but we are not the kind to take things at face value. With everything that has been happening, we've been careful at who we let in. Dangerous times and all."

"And we're under government orders…"

"I heard you but… I just don't quite believe you." Sari made a slight face as she looked at the leader. "Considering that you didn't bother knocking to ask for gas from one of my citizens and claim to know another and since I pretty much know everyone in town… I don't know you so forgive me if I'm not inclined to take you for your word." She gave a smile. It was the one that Jake said was her polite and deadly one. She never understood what he meant by that but it worked when she needed it to.

The leader looked at her and replied, "We are in a state of emergency and local law enforcement is to cooperate and give us what we have been ordered to collect."

Sari nodded to acknowledge that she heard him. She crossed her arms in front of her and held her left wrist with her right hand. "You say that and I hear you but I am telling you that unless we have some proof from our government such as an order directly from the bae of operations then I suggest that you pass us by." She knew she was treading on light ice with this as she adjusted her stance and she noticed Ravenwood shifting. She held up a hand and continued, "Now if you just need supplies, we can see what we can do so that both sides would be happy but you would have to follow our laws."

"And you realize by government authority that I can commandeer supplies as I see fit?"

"I do," Sari acknowledged as she shifted on her feet. "But you see here, there are some stories going around about people pretending to be from the government and have been causing trouble. So I'm sure you can understand why we are suspicious." She looked at the leader with a raised brow. "And I am doubly suspicious of you and your band of miscreants."

Sari knew that would spark recognition. She watched as the leader's eyes open slightly and his head move. She didn't flinch as she stood there with her brow raised. The veil was lifted so to speak. Now it was a matter of whether or not Ravenwood was going to back down or not. She stood there expectantly and quietly, not once indicating that she was going for her weapon. She stared at the leader of Ravenwood.

All of a sudden a shot went off. That set up a chain reaction. Sari saw the rifles come up and dropped to the ground. She was well aware that she was vulnerable and in danger of being hit. She kept her head down and prayed that the men behind the barrier were okay. She was going to have to give them a talking to later but first things first. She stayed low and didn't move.

"Cease fire. Cease fire!"

Sari looked up and could see shell casings all over the ground. She could see that she wasn't hit. Another close call and she was probably going to hear it from Jake later. She took in a few deep breaths and pressed her hands on the pavement but didn't get up. She didn't want to give them an excuse to shoot again and possibly kill her. The leader would probably want to do that.

"Listen up," the leader shouted, "We're here on government orders to collect supplies. Your cooperation is mandatory."

Sari knew she was taking a risk and slowly got to her feet. She held her hands out in the open and away from her body so there was no reason to shoot her. She stood there looking at Ravenwood and said, "You say it is government orders but you have nothing but your word vouching for who you are. I apologize for that. We're only farmers and small town folk."

There was a tense silence on both sides but Sari wasn't going to back down. She stood there looking at Ravenwood, giving the impression that she was not going to back down. She did add, "And you do realize that if you do anything that would be taken out of context, anything you hope to gain will not happen."

More silence followed until the leader said, "As I said, your cooperation is mandatory."

"If you can provide proof that you are here on government orders."

"You really want to push me?"

Sari knew that she was risking open war if she continued to be an antagonist and provoke them. Yet she had to make it clear that Jericho was not another town that they could loot and pillage. She didn't want to get into conflict if she could avoid it but in this case she was willing to make an exception. She wasn't going to back down. She replied, "Careful there. You are talking to another representative of the US government."

It almost seemed like it was going to be a standoff that would end in a shootout. Sari stood her ground and looked at the Ravenwood leader until he finally said, "You will comply. When I get back here, this bridge better be cleared or I'll clear it myself." He glared at Sari and pointed at her, "You've got four hours. Understood?"

Sari looked at the leader with and slightly rolled her eyes. "Make sure that you come back with some verification. We are still American citizens with rights here."

The leader looked like he wanted to say something to her but instead reminded her, "Four hours." He then turned to his men and called out, "Let's roll out."

Sari lowered her hands and stood there, her hands balling slightly into fists as she watched the Ravenwood operatives pile back into their Humvees. She watched as they turned around and went back down the road they came. She took a deep breath once they were on the road but she knew that it wasn't over yet. Not with that deadline hanging over them.

"What the hell are we going to do?"

That was the question of the moment and Sari wracked her brain to come up with a solution. She knew that they would be coming back this way. And if it wasn't cleared, they would do it and that would mean bulldozing their way through and firing upon her men.

"There's no way that we're going to be able to hold this bridge," Gray said as he panted from the adrenaline rush.

"We're going to have to take it out," Jake said as he looked past Sari at the departing Humvees. "There can't be a bridge." He looked at Gray and Hawkins, "We're going to have to blow it up."

Sari widened her eyes as she turned at Jake's assessment. She looked at him and demanded, "What?"

* * *

 **A/N:** And we get our first appearance of Ravenwood and Sari is out to protect the town. Jake too but at what cost? See ya next time on Forces Banding Together...


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Why aren't you at the bridge?"

Eric adjusted the load in his hands as he turned to see his brother coming into the station followed by Hawkins, Jimmy and Gray. There was also one very angry looking Sari and he could tell right away that it wasn't good as Sari said, "Because somebody decided on a 'brilliant' idea that is a _bad_ one."

Jake glared at Sari. He had been hearing it all the way back. He looked back at his brother and said, "We need to talk."

Eric motioned towards the office. He could tell that it was a conversation that was not going to have agreement on either side. He listened as Jake gave the account of what happened at the bridge. When he got to the part about Jake's idea to blow up the bridge, he could understand why Sari was not in a good mood. He looked at her as she stood there with a glare that was the equivalent of getting the mom glare and was equally scary. He said, "No way. We're not doing it."

"Think about it: with the bridge gone, we can't be overrun," Jake countered trying to get his brother to see his side of things.

"Until Ravenwood turns around and comes at us from another direction," Eric pointed out.

"Not to mention that we'd be cutting off people from town," Sari pointed out. "We'd be leaving them to the wolves."

"But not before passing New Bern or some other town," Gray shouted, "Better them than us."

"Oh really?" Sari raised her brow at Gray. She moved to stand toe to toe with the man. "So, we're going to be like everyone else? What about the Richmonds and the others that live within the town limits of Jericho but on the other side of that bridge?" She pointed towards the window to drive the point home. "Is it the same quota for them?"

"And what good are you going to do?" Gray glared at Sari as he countered her, "Seems to me that they weren't much in a talking mood."

"Not after someone got too nervous and popped off a shotgun round," she replied smoothly. "And weren't you the one not so long ago that wanted to grab a gun and hunt Mitch Cafferty down like a dog?" She had lowered her voice as she finished her last sentence.

"I agree with Jake," Hawkins interrupted, "That it is the best choice. We can then focus our manpower and resources on securing the other roads." He tried to keep his voice down to keep the peace.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Eric said as he shook his head.

"And I can't believe you are considering doing this. This is not the answer," Sari added as she made a gesture. "If we destroy that bridge, it is gone forever. Do you think we can do without it?"

"And what about the farms on the other side… access to the food for the winter," Eric added. He was surprised that Sari wasn't going along with Jake on this one. He remembered her always going along when they were kids. Now she was… At least he had some support for this.

"There are farms closer to town," Gray pointed out.

"And what about what I said before? The homes that are going to be isolated?" Sari countered back. She didn't like to fight but she was willing to get into one if only to punch out Gray Anderson. She looked at Jake, "JJ, that means Stanley will be cut off."

"Then they'll have to come over." Jake looked at Sari wondering why she was fighting him on this. She had to know that this was the only way to go.

"Look there has to be a better way," Eric said.

"Ravenwood is coming back right now. We've got no time," Gray pointed out, "What do you suggest?"

"We can get more men," Eric answered, "Pull them off the outposts if we have to."

Jake knew that Sari was in favor of this proposition. She had to know that it was going to get people killed. "Eric, if you send more men out there, you're going to get more men killed."

Sari crossed her arms over her chest. She knew that was the risk. The men they had were used to shooting animals. Shooting at a person was a whole lot different and it was asking a lot of them. She believed though that when a person defended their home because it is their right, they had a fighting chance even if they were outnumbered and outgunned. She glanced over at Eric and he returned the look with a nod. She gave one in return and said, "Bill, lock up the explosives."

"What the…?"

"Nothing happens to that bridge," Eric said in support. He gave a firm look at his brother to make it clear. "We can face them with whatever we can muster."

Jake couldn't believe what was happening. He let his brother pass him but spoke when Sari started to pass, "How can you… Sari!"

Eric turned and reiterated that the answer was no. Sari paused though and turned to look at Jake and everyone else in the room. She knew that Jake was probably seeing this as a betrayal of sorts, but she was going to hold fast to this one. She uncrossed her arms and dropped them to hang at her sides. "We're going to hold the bridge. Gather whoever is left and have them meet here."

Jake watched her leave the room. His lips twitched in anger. Was she really going to fight him on this one? After all the crap they had gotten into and she went along with him them. What made this so different? It felt like a betrayal and yet… She really had changed from the girl he left behind, and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing. There was nothing left to do but to have Jimmy and the others start making preparations.

Sari felt like hitting something, but she had to keep her cool. She had a feeling that she and Jake would butt heads. It had been happening ever since the whole thing with Mitch and Jonah and now this. She was not the little girl that he protected from the town anymore. She had a mind and ideas and knew how to make things work. The whole thing hurt and made her angry. Taking a deep breath, she went to help Bill lock up the explosives.

Bill knew the situation was serious and he sort of agreed with Jake and Gray, but he couldn't disregard what his boss was telling him to do. And yet he couldn't help but think that maybe she might have the right idea, but Jake made a point too. No one wanted to die in a fight, and it looked like it was going to come down to that. Sighing, he reached for the keys to unlock the case that he was going to store the explosives in.

At that moment, Sari came in with a box of explosives and set them on the table. Bill glanced at her as he opened the locker and stepped aside so she could put it in. He had to ask, "Sari… is this really the best choice?"

Sari finished moving the box to make room for the other. She took a breath and looked at Bill. "I am not going to let innocent flounder because of a situation we have been placed in." She glanced over towards the door to make sure that there was no one there. She then leaned in and said in a low tone, "Blowing up the bridge is a bad idea. It's letting _them_ set the tone. In my experience, if you are in an impossible situation, do not let the enemy set the tone. You set it, even if it doesn't make sense at the time."

Bill looked at Sari as she grabbed a box to lock up. He watched as he moved what he needed. "Do you have a plan, Sari?"

Sari straightened up and stared at the wall, putting her hands on her hips. She took a couple of breaths and realized she was still not happy with the division that was occurring. Even with that disappointment, she was still thinking about an idea. It was one that she would have to get Eric on board with since he was the one that was in favor of standing up to Ravenwood. She looked at Bill. "Stand and fight."

"You… you know that not everyone has your experience. The most anyone shot at was a turkey or something," Bill gestured, looking a little scared at what she was suggesting.

"I know, Bill. Unfortunately, it is the best choice. Not the only, but the best. The best in that it makes sure that all of Jericho is secure."

"And you have an idea." Bill had been studying her and realized she had some idea of what to do. He frowned slightly, "And you know that Gray will throw a fit."

"Gray thinks first and asks questions later," Sari spat back. "He almost made a drastic mistake when he tried to shoot Mitch Cafferty in the middle of a public street." She finished putting the explosives in and gestured for Bill to lock them. "You want to know more about what I did while I was away?"

"It's crossed my mind," Bill asked as he locked the cabinet. "But I get it if you don't. And what you know has helped."

Sari nodded. She knew that this was not the time to let fear run the show. She stepped closer and put a hand on Bill's shoulder. "The things I did… This is a picnic, but the events are the same. Just different players. The thing we have going by standing up and fighting is that we have what Ravenwood doesn't have. People defending their homes. Over there I saw men outnumbered and outgunned and they were fighting to defend their home. That is something more powerful than a mercenary, fighting for an ideal. The will to live and be free… It's a powerful thing."

"And you really think we can pull this off?"

"I'm not going to lie. There is a huge risk. You said it, everyone's said it, our people are not soldiers, but we have the homefield advantage." She looked around and sighed as she added, "And the ability to make a deal with the devil. Better the devil you know than you don't." She looked at Bill and asked, "Can I count on you to back me up, Bill?"

Bill looked at her. She had changed from the girl he knew when they were in school. The woman before him was a leader. She took charge and showed others how to do the same. She cared about a greater good and tried her best to explain it to others. Its what made people readily cooperate with the new guidelines to keep Jericho as normal as possible, but also a safe as could be made. He nodded, "You're the boss, Sari. You haven't done anything that would result in removal of duty."

Sari nodded as she patted Bill on the shoulder. She looked towards the door. She knew Jake and Gray. Hawkins she wasn't completely sure of, but she could guess where he stood. It was going to come to a head, and she sensed that Bill would easily cave. He was scared. They all were. She looked back at him and said, "I then trust that you will make the right decision when the time comes."

Patting Bill on the shoulder, she turned and left. She had to get to Eric and relay her plan. She only prayed that he would be willing to listen. Most everyone else didn't seem to take her seriously when she admitted to seeing the same thing when she was in Afghanistan. She passed Jimmy in the lobby and said, "I hope you know how to stand, Jimmy."

It was subtle, but clear. Sari didn't pause to take in the reaction. She didn't have much time. She looked in the likely places for Eric around town since he was the deputy mayor. She came across Hawkins toting what looked like fertilizer and she raised her brow. She could have stopped it, but she needed to find Eric. Eric could handle his brother and the others.

She found Eric as he was rounding up people willing to put a stand at the bridge. "Eric!"

Eric turned to see Sari jogging towards him. "What is it, Sari?"

Sari took a breath and spoke, "I know how we can get the numbers needed to make a stand."

Eric stared at his brother's friend. She was staring at him with an expression that said she was serious. He knew that he shouldn't have doubted her in the beginning. He had seen it when she defended them in Rogue River. She was not the kind of person to bullshit them. "Talk to me."

"Okay. Hear me out before saying anything. Your word." Sari tapped Eric on the shoulder. She needed that guarantee from him before she said anything.

Eric thought it was a strange request but realized why she said it. He took a sharp intake of air and it came out like a hiss. Time was of the essence and he knew that he couldn't get hung up in a pissing match. "Alright. I promise. Tell me your plan."

Sari looked at Eric and shifted on her feet. She took a breath, "How about…"

~0~0~0~0~

Jake knew that blowing the bridge was the best bet. They could reinforce Jericho against Ravenwood and force them to find another way that would take them miles out of their way. He hated agreeing with Gray in that it was better them than Jericho and he was doing what he had told Hawkins; that everything he did was to protect his family.

 _And Sari and Ryan?_

Jake had looked after Sari for a long time. The only time that stopped was when he left Jericho. He left her alone and that ended up with her leaving. It occurred to him that by leaving her alone, it forced her to gain a sense of independence. She had to otherwise she wouldn't have gone on to do what she did. Now he was seeing the result of that. She was capable of doing a lot, making decisions and know when she was in over her head. He knew she was always capable of it. He just always did it for her.

Jake knew when he was defeated and let it go, instead diverting his energy to arming and positioning people. He didn't understand Sari's reluctance and the stand she took against him surprised him. It surprised everyone in the room. Yet, he knew better than to disregard any input she had based on her experiences. It seemed that the deputies learned that during the time she took over in her current job and stood by her even though he could see that they thought she was in the wrong this time. When he saw Gray and Hawkins talking about fertilizer, dawned on Jake that they were going to blow up the bridge anyway.

As far as Jake saw it, it was in violation of a directive given by the leading deputy/sheriff of the town. It was undermining Sari's authority. Yet, this wasn't a time to be squeamish about the law. He didn't say that he was in, even when Gray told him that there was no shame because he had loyalty to his brother. He could tell that it was going down no matter what, unless Sari showed up with a major show of force. The best he could do was warn the families on the other side of the bridge what was going down and to move into town. It was why he found himself standing outside the Richmond farm, trying to explain and getting looks of bewilderment and upset.

"You're going to blow up the bridge?" Mimi was looking at Jake as if he had lost his mind.

"The Millers will be here in an hour. They got their old Nova working. You can ride with them." Jake turned towards Jake and Bonnie.

Stanley knew the situation was dire. He had a bad feeling when Ravenwood drove up to his house and he trusted Jake. Even though events drove Jake away for five years, they were still friends. They had been through a lot together and there was no reason to doubt Jake or his word. He gestured at Bonnie, "Go pack your bag."

"No."

Stanley narrowed his eyes at the defiance Bonnie was showing. He signed as he spoke, "Don't argue with me. When that car gets here, you're going to be in it. Now go."

"And what about you?" Mimi stood there as she watched the scene unfold with Jake. She didn't like being stuck there, but she was grateful for the help and hospitality that Stanley gave her despite the fact that she had been there for the IRS.

"I'm staying."

Jake gritted his teeth at that. "Don't be stupid Stanley. They're coming back."

"I'll hold them off. I did it before."

Jake knew that Stanley was a stubborn ass. They all were at the best of times. With Stanley, it seemed to come at the worst of times. It was admirable that he was willing to stand up for what he believed in, but now was not the time. He gave a reality check shove on his friend, "Look, it's not going to be a couple of guys this time." He didn't want to go into it, but he had to make it clear, 'They left a pile of bodies in Rogue River. You want to wind up like that?"

Both were so absorbed into their discussion, that they forgot that Mimi was there. She had been listening and she could see the implications. She tried, "Stanley, please don't get yourself killed for a house."

Stanley looked at Jake and then at Mimi. They just didn't get it. They didn't know what was at stake if he were to leave and leave the place to the wolves. He approached Mimi, trying not to get too emotional. He was just tried of trying to explain himself to a woman who didn't seem to know what was important in life. In a controlled tone, he replied, "Hey, my grandfather built this house from the ground up." He gestured at the house, "And that room you've been sleeping in… That was my dad's room when he was a kid. They put that in your audit file?" He glared at Mimi and turned back towards Jake. "I'm not about to give it up without a fight."

Jake made a slight face as Stanley walked away to prepare. He could see his friend's point. There wasn't a man in town that would leave for that reason, but he knew what Ravenwood was capable of. He lost a lot when he was over in Afghanistan. He'd be damned if he was going to lose his friends and family here. He tried again, "If we had guardsmen, people who were trained… We could take a stand, but we don't. Once we blow that bridge, everyone who's on this side of it is on their own."

Stanley heard Jake's words. He knew that they were right. He knew that if he continued to stay, he would be all alone here. Logically, it was right to leave, but he couldn't. He wasn't about to leave a place that held memories, a life, a family… everything that made him and Bonnie who they were was there. He wasn't about to leave it behind so readily. He nodded in acknowledgement to Jake's words and turned to look at his friend and replied, "Okay. So, go warn people. You're wasting time here. I doubt Sari would."

Stanley threw that last bit about Sari in Jake's face. He knew that Jake would respond to that. Jake had always looked out for her and Stanley suspected that his friend's feelings extended deeper than that even though he had been with Emily for a time. He left Jake to go and start shoring up his house. He was going to stay and fight if he had to.

Jake watched as Stanley walked away. It wasn't like his friend to throw Sari and what she would do in his teeth, but he got the message loud and clear. Stanley wasn't going anywhere and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to let his friend do what he had to do. Sighing, he left the Richmond place to go warn the other families. He didn't have much time to do it in.

In the meantime, Stanley worked on protecting his property. He was well aware that he was probably doing the stupidest thing ever, and he had done some pretty stupid things, but this was his home. He was going to protect it no matter what. He would do what he could. He got the feeling that if Sari were there, she would be in agreement with him. She would understand what he was feeling what things meant to him.

He was working on the windows when the Millers drove up in their Nova. Seeing them out the window, he turned towards Bonnie and signed while speaking, "They're here. Get your stuff."

"I'm not leaving. This is my home, too," Bonnie protested.

Stanley wanted to curse the fact that there was such a thing as stubborn little sisters as he turned to respond, "Bonnie, it is not safe for you here."

"I'm not afraid."

"Bonnie, don't argue with me."

Bonnie was close to pleading and begging, "We'll be okay if we stay together."

"Stanley?"

Mimi had come down the stairs and Bonnie wasn't going to pretend in anything. She rolled her eyes and left. Mimi was well aware that Bonnie didn't like her. It was one of the few sticking points to her staying there. She ignored the look and approached Stanley, "She's not going?"

"I can't force her."

"You're risking her life… and yours." Mimi saw the logic of leaving. She couldn't understand why Stanley was being stubborn about this. "I don't get it, Stanley." She tracked the man as he moved throughout the house.

"Because it's not your family," Stanley snapped, "Bonnie grew up in this house. We both did." He turned to look at Mimi and explain, "This house is her only connection to a mother and father she barely even remembers."

Mimi still didn't get all of it even though she was getting a hint of it. She thought Stanley was being an idiot for not seeing it. She replied, "That's funny. I you were that connection."

Stanley was at a loss for words. He didn't have anything to say to that as she wished him luck to head out with the Millers. He made a slight face as he thought about it some more. Definitely Sari would have pointed that out to him. She would have pointed out that the house was what it is and that yes it held memories, but he was the one thing that was a living representative of his parents. She would have been eloquent in her language, but he would have gotten the message.

Looking out the window, he watched as Mimi left with the Millers. He leaned against the window and thought about things. He still believed that he was in the right, but he could also see the other side of things. He shook his head as he thought about it.

 _Always sticking with the obvious, right, Stanley?_

Stanley felt his lip curl in a smile as he recalled a conversation he had with Sari. He muttered, "It's the right thing to do."

 _And I get that. It's one of the reasons why I like you. You see the obvious and don't waste time running in a circle like a dog chasing its tail. You see what needs to be done and do it._

Stanley remembered that and how he thought she was calling him a dog. He remembered how he reacted, and she still smiled at him, like she was amused. She then pointed at him and said that he was making her point right there. It had him red with embarrassment, but he was also lucky in that Jake didn't get the urge to beat him up.

 _It's not a bad thing Stanley. Loyalty to principles is a hard thing to come by. Sometimes though, you just need to step back and take a look at the bigger picture._

"And that's why you're the sheriff, Sari," Stanley muttered as he turned away from the window. It was on his mind as he went about, finishing shoring up the house.

* * *

 **A/N:** To blow up a bridge or not to blow up a bridge? Stay tuned for more Forces Banding Together...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Sari sighed as she looked at the compound. She knew that this was a big risk and a strong possibility that Eric would reject it outright. Yet, he kept his word and listened to her idea. She was even ready with the answers to the questions that he had when she was finished. In the end, he was agreeable and told her to run with it. Now she was sitting outside the compound in the truck she had borrowed, staring at what was going to be probably one to go into the books.

Knowing that waiting wasn't going to get her anywhere, she turned on the ignition. Putting the truck in gear she pulled forward until she was just outside. She knew that there would be guards watching and had been watching her since she had parked further back. It was a risk since they could have taken her for an intruder and shot on sight, but it seemed that their leader had things under control.

She looked at the gate and then the guards. She didn't move since she didn't feel like getting shot and she was on a time crunch. She glanced up when she saw the gate open slightly. It was just enough to let one person come out. She sat back in her seat and killed the engine. Better to not give any reason to have them shoot her.

She stared straight ahead, not looking at anything but the gate. She took a breath, remembering the tense moments when she was in Afghanistan and going through a local controlled checkpoint. The real fear was whether or not they would betray you and shoot you or blow you up. Granted this wasn't exactly the same thing, it was.

The knock on the window caught her attention. She didn't look as she rolled down the window, thankful the truck was not a modern one. Much hardier and had been able to keep running after the EMP. She kept her hands on the steering wheel.

"You're the last person I'd expect you to come here."

Sari stared ahead and replied, "And you should know that I would only come here if it was a serious matter."

"More like desperate."

Sari turned to look at the one that was standing outside her window. "Not desperate, Jonah. More like threat to mutual existence." She stared at Jonah with a bland expression. She had schooled her features to not show any emotion on her face. She needed to let Jonah see that she was serious and not kidding about what she was bringing to the table.

Jonah looked at Sari and took in the expression she was sending his way. He had noted that she was different from what he had remembered. He liked that she could stand defiantly and not take lip from anyone. She had made that clear when he walked into the sheriff's station when he went to spring Mitch Cafferty. He shifted on his feet and asked, "And what do you think is a threat to mutual existence?"

Sari shifted her head slightly, "One that I would be happy to discuss between you and me."

Jonah smirked, amused and proud at the negotiation taking place. He knew that if he wanted to know what she was here for, he would have to accommodate her. Had it been anyone else, he would have told them to get lost. Jake would have been included too. But it was Sari and he liked her. Always did. Nodding he stepped back, "Come on in."

Sari raised her brow as she opened the door. She got out and met Jonah's surprised gaze. "What?" She raised her brow at him.

"I meant for you to drive inside," Jonah replied as he gestured towards the gate.

Sari glanced to see the gate wide open. Enough to let her truck in. She looked at Jonah and gave a slow grin, "Did you really think I was going to roll over that easily?" When he said nothing, she gestured, "Come on. Walking doesn't kill you."

Jonah couldn't help but smirk at that. His chuckle came out like a scoff as he shook his head. He gave a signal and started walking with Sari into his compound. "You got some brass ones on you, Sari."

"Comes with being on your own for five years."

"And yet you still have that sweet girl air about you."

Sari paused and gave a wry grin at Jonah, "Always a looking?"

"Always looking for the best."

Sari chuckled at that and turned to continue walking. Five years ago, she would have run away if she saw Jonah Prowse coming towards her. Or she would have hid behind Jake. She grew up in the last five years since she learned she had to depend on herself when in the thick of it. "I'm still not joining your crew, Jonah. I already got a job."

"I know. Sheriff."

"Deputy," Sari corrected. She had entered the compound and turned to face Jonah. She had waited until he was close enough to stand toe to toe with her.

Jonah stopped and found him standing really close to her. He looked down at her and was surprised and nervous that they were so close. The fact that she was letting him within her personal space like that shocked him. He replied in a low tone, "And yet you're in charge. And here."

"As a representative of Jericho."

Jonah stared at her. He thought about replying to that but decided against it. He wasn't about to make a scene in front of his men that would have them gossiping or questioning his leadership. He gestured and told her to follow him. He led her to his office and gestured at the chair for when he conducted business, "Have a seat."

"Don't mind if I do."

Jonah was amused when she deliberately bypassed the chair he gestured and sat in his chair. He chuckled and teased, "Always one to go for the throat." He took a seat, well aware that she was taking the high ground in this negotiation and he was proud she wasn't showing any kinks in the armor.

"As I said, this affects us both." Sari sat in the chair and put her feet on the desk with her hands in her lap. She made a slight hand movement. "We both have something the other wants."

"Old news and your town reneged. It took Emily saving your butts," Jonah pointed out as he leaned back in his seat.

"Which benefitted you and was a deal between you and her," Sari countered. She knew she had to hurry this up. They were running out of time, but she knew that Jonah had to be brought around. "This is between you and me as a representative of Jericho as sanctioned by the deputy mayor."

"Eric sent you?"

"I proposed the idea and he was in agreement. Of course, the situation dictated his actions." Sari shrugged her shoulders at that. "But I'm here for the long haul. Not a quick fix."

Jonah studied her. She admitted urgency sent her here, but she was looking for a long term arrangement. It didn't sound like her since she was a hometown girl. She was loyal to Jericho and would defend it. Not to mention that she had a younger sister to look after. The way she worded it had him intrigued and he wanted to know more. "What do you have in mind? What's the problem?"

Sari paused and studied the man. It was like playing chess with a poker face. She, like Jake, knew Jonah Prowse. She knew how the man thought. She removed her feet and leaned on the desk, her hands folded in front of her. "Ever hear of Ravenwood?"

"Can't say that I have?"

Sari maintained a stoic expression as she kept Jonah's gaze. She had him hook, line, but she needed the sinker. "They are a mercenary group FEMA hired to help with our situation with the nuclear bombs. However, they turned to business for themselves. They killed innocent people at the hospital in Rogue River. I saw it."

Jonah took in the stoic expression. It was almost clinical the way she said it. He realized she was getting to the point and he guessed on a few things, but he needed her to confirm it. "And what? They are coming here?"

"They already came. Forward scouting party. They encountered our… resistance at Tacoma bridge," Sari explained. "I was trying to negotiate and was lucky I didn't get shot."

Jonah only blinked. He didn't like that he was hearing that the girl he took a liking to had been shot at and almost killed. And by a group of mercenaries no doubt. "You okay?"

"Like I said, lucky I didn't get shot." Sari straightened up a bit, but her hands never left the table. "It would've been better if one of our own didn't get so nervous that he pulled the trigger and started it. It's what you get when you don't have a trained security force." She gave a wry chuckled at that and looked downward at nothing in particular.

Jonah frowned a little at that, "I am still trying to see how this involves me."

"They want to blow Tacoma bridge," Sari answered as she looked up at the man.

"What?"

"Ravenwood will be back en force in… an hour. Maybe less." Sari looked at her watch to check the time. She had trouble explaining that one to her sister when Ryan discovered her watch was still working. "Gray Anderson rallied the troops. They are going to blow Tacoma bridge."

Jonah looked at Sari to see if she was kidding him. While he knew her to tell the truth, he was just being cautious. He learned from experience to not trust right away. It had to be earned. Sari had demonstrated as a girl how she could be trustworthy. As a woman, it was different. She didn't even hesitate to be almost seductive with him and she blatantly took his chair like she was boss, trusting him not to do anything. He knew she wasn't lying when he looked in her eyes. "You're serious."

"Deadly."

"Then we got a problem."

"Yes, we do, which is why I am here."

Jonah laid back in his seat and gestured at her, "And you want me to help you get rid of them."

"Threat to mutual existence, Jonah," Sari replied. She leaned in close. Her hands were still folded in front of her. "Taking out that bridge not only affects the families on the other side of it, which is us. It affects your route into town for business. Mutual existence."

"I'm still not hearing the deal."

"You come with me and help me drive Ravenwood off, prevent the bridge from being blown up," Sari straightened up as she continued, "And I will allow you to do business in Jericho. You would be contracted to bring us food and supplies and I will let you conduct business with anyone else, but that is separate."

"And Eric authorized you to do this?"

"He wants the problem with the bridge solved. I want a long term solution."

Jonah stared at Sari. He saw that she was serious. He knew that she was in favor of the initial deal with the food. He could guess that she gave the hardliners hell for their stubbornness and stupidity. He was still surprised that she was the one organizing this. "So, you're saying that you want to trade with us?"

"You know we don't have much except to let you do business in town. I can even set you up in a place that would appease those that think dealing with you is a bad idea."

That was something of value. Having real estate to do business. Jonah thought about it. He did have an advantage though. Jericho had nothing to trade for. They would basically be getting his services for free, but she was offering a place to do business. It would have been harder since she would be strict in warding off trespassers and the like. So, she was offering a fair deal.

"Jonah," Sari entered in a low tone, "I am offering you access for your services." She studied him and added, "You won't get a better deal anywhere else."

Jonah studied her. They would both win with the current situation. In the long run… He could get to see Emily more, if she was willing. He nodded, "Alright. Deal." He held out his hand and was surprised with how readily she put her hand into his.

Standing up, Jonah said, "You know Johnston's going to say something about this."

"I'll deal with that," Sari replied.

"I bet you would," Jonah replied as he led the way out. "How about we discuss the details?"

"A walk would do just fine," she replied.

They walked through Jonah's compound, laying out the details. Jonah was actually surprised and pleased that Sari was a good negotiator. She wouldn't even budge on things she stated were non-negotiable. They had arrived near the gate when he said, "I stand by what I said. You got a pair on you Sari."

"I'm only thinking what is best for my town." She smirked a little as she added, "Don't flatter yourself."

Jonah chuckled, "Not a chance with you. So why me?"

Sari turned to face Jonah. It was an odd question to ask, but she could get where he was coming from. She stood there looking at him. She then replied, "I know you Jonah. I don't know the others coming through." She shifted and watched his expression. She then added, "When stuck between two devils, it is often better to go with the devil you know than the one you don't."

Sari stared at Jonah. He was staring back at her, as if puzzled. They stared at each other until the sound of a horn honked. Jonah's men were shouting at them. Jonah glanced at the gate and then back at Sari.

~0~0~0~0~

Eric was livid. He was more than livid. He was pissed. He was pissed that Gray, Hawkins, even Jake went behind his back and decided that it was best to blow up Tacoma Bridge anyway. He didn't have to have it pointed out to him, but he got why Sari was pissed at the rest of them when they tried to make a deal with Jonah Prowse. He understood what it felt like to have his authority undermined.

The upside of this was that Sari was working on it. She had come to him with a crazy plan and he was willing to listen. She pled her case and even brought up a deal with Jonah about supplies. It was the kind of thing that would have Gray say that it wasn't a good idea and then try to rally the people behind him to agree. This time though, Eric listened and in the end agreed, telling Sari to do what she could to get Jonah on board. He didn't see then how they would need him, but now… he did.

He raced home since this was an urgent matter for the mayor of Jericho and his father was mayor. He suspected that his mother was lying in wait for him. She was and he was trying to be patient since there wasn't time to deal with the fact that he had told April that he was in love with Mary Bailey and that the marriage was over. He didn't want to get into a shouting match and he could see that his mother was right, but…

"What's going on?"

"Johnston."

Eric turned to see his father coming down the stairs. It was a godsend that the whole argument or discussion with his mother was put on hold for the moment. He took the opportunity to run with it, "Dad. The mercenaries from Rogue River. They followed us back."

Johnston knew that there was a discussion pending between him and his youngest, but he sensed the urgency in Eric's voice. He continued down the stairs, hanging onto every word that was being told to him. He got the feeling that he was going to hear something that he wasn't going to like.

Eric took a breath and kept on going, "We have checkpoint at the Tacoma Bridge and I think we can defend it, but there's a plan to destroy it and cut off the town."

Johnston didn't have to ask, but he did, "Gray Anderson?"

Eric nodded, "Yeah, he's out there right now wiring it."

"Where are Jimmy and Bill?"

"Out there helping Gray."

"Sari?"

"Out recruiting help to defend the bridge." Eric shook his head and gestured, "It's just me and her on this one."

"Get your brother and stop them." Johnston didn't think twice about it asking to get Jake. He knew that Jake tended to go with Sari's judgment and sometimes vice versa, to his own detriment at times. If anything, if Sari said no, then Jake would be on board.

"Jake is with them too," Eric replied, realizing that his father was thinking about how thick as thieves Jake and Sari were.

Johnston took a moment to absorb the words he heard. It was a first that he heard them disagreeing, but what's done was done. "Then you stop them. Whatever it takes, you stop them." He saw Eric start to falter and repeated in a firm tone, "Whatever it takes."

Eric nodded in understanding. He couldn't help but get the feeling that Sari knew what was going to happen and was making precautions. She was doing her part. He needed to do his. Giving a look at his father, he left the house and headed for the bridge. He had to stop this. No matter what.

The bridge was full of people. Some with guns. Others with their belongings coming across to safety. Eric could hear Gray shouting at people to keep moving. He moved forward in the opposite direction that the others were heading. He needed to get help. He just hoped that Sari did her part. He stopped someone and asked, "John, I need to borrow your truck. Please."

He must have been able to relay the urgency because John handed over the keys to his truck. He thanked the man and kept walking. He had to find Jake and let him know what the score was. He spotted Jake holding a bunch of wires and it occurred to him that they were what was going to be used to set off the explosives. He walked with a determined stance to confront his brother.

"Eric…"

Jake saw his brother walking. He handed off the wires to the deputy when he realized that Eric was heading to the other side, away from town. He chased after his brother and caught up in a few short strides.

"Dad wants this stopped," Eric said firmly, without preamble.

"Well Dad doesn't have all the information," Jake countered, wondering why Eric was fighting him on this.

"It's still his call, Jake."

Jake put a hand on his brother's shoulder only to have it thrown off harshly. He stepped back, but it didn't stop him from saying, "Well he's not here to make it." Seeing that Eric was still walking and sensing that he was going to do something that was probably stupid, he called to his brother, "Eric… What are you doing?"

Eric didn't answer. He figured that his actions were saying plenty. That seemed to work with the Green men. Actions spoke louder than words and he was definitely saying something. He just hoped by the time he got there, Sari had something in the works.

"What are you doing?" Jake couldn't believe what his brother was doing. He didn't have to be told. He could see, but he had to ask.

"I'm putting an end to this," Eric spat back. He turned on the engine.

"We could see that flare any minute," Jake replied, gesturing in the direction where the flare was supposed to come from. "You'll be cut off. You can't go out there alright?"

Eric glared at his brother. He was probably cruel for throwing this in Jake's teeth, but he had to make Jake see how dire the situation is. "Then I guess I'll have company with Sari."

It took a moment for Jake to latch onto what Eric was saying. He blinked as he realized what his brother just said, "What do you mean? Is Sari on the other side of that bridge?"

Eric continued to glare at his brother, "What did you think was going to happen? She said no to this!"

Jake felt like he had been sucker punched. He knew that Sari disagreed with him on blowing up the bridge, but she wasn't reckless to risk her life like that. He struggled to find something to say to Eric. He couldn't tell Eric to bring her back.

Eric took the opportunity and put the truck into gear. He knew he wasn't giving the whole picture to Jake. He would probably pay for it later, but he had to get moving. He pulled out slowly to give Jake time to clear out and then added gas. He could barely hear his brother shouting his name as he continued down the highway. As his father said, whatever it took to end this.

Jake chased after the truck, calling out to Eric. He stopped when the truck widened the distance between them. He took a couple of deep breaths as he watched the truck disappear down the highway. He now felt torn. He was torn.

He was torn and there was little he could do. They were on opposite sides of this. The rational and cold part said that they made their choice. The more emotional suggested that maybe they had the right idea. He felt torn and for once, he was speechless. The only thing he could do was watch his brother drive away and hope that he came across Sari. He ran a hand through his hair and took a breath before turning to finish rigging the bridge.

There wasn't much time before the flare would pop. Both of them were certain that they were in the right with their stand. It was only a matter of who would be the first to enact their plan. Jake was rigging the explosives, but silently he was praying that Sari and Eric would be back with an alternative or at least see reason and come back to town. Eric was praying that Sari had managed to square things away and be in a position to stop this madness from happening.

Eric drove on to where he knew Sari was going to be. He was alarmed that the truck she had used was still sitting outside the compound. He skidded to a stop, well aware that he was going to look like he was going to attack it. He was relieved that it opened to reveal two people he needed to see. He just hoped he was in time.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sari has a bold idea and goes to do it while Jake and Eric have a standoff about Tacoma Bridge. Stay tuned for next time on Forces Banding Together...


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

The flare was like a shooting star but going in the wrong direction. Heading upwards into the sky, it was a bright beacon and it was telling Jake the thing he was dreading. He felt his chest constrict as he stared at the ball of light shooting into the sky. They didn't have much time left.

Turning he warned, "They flare! They're coming!"

Hawkins heard Jake's voice. He glanced at Gray and said, "We've got two minutes. Still have to run the trunk line."

Jake ran to join Hawkins and Gray. He got down to finish what they were doing. "Eric and Sari are out there."

"There's no time, Jake," Gray urged.

Jake had and could say something about that to Gray. He knew that they were short on time, but his brother and partner was out there. Despite the disagreement, they were still family. Maybe he could buy some time. He took a breath and said, "Get everybody off the bridge. Get as far away as you can."

"What are you doing?" Gray didn't understand what was going on.

"Go! Go now! Go!" Jake went to help Hawkins finish. He shot a look at the man. He had learned quite a bit about him. At least the fact that he was more than what he appeared. Jake had some questionable things too and Hawkins had picked up on it.

The first time that Jake learned Hawkins was more than meets the eye was when he spotted Hawkins with a satellite and was accessing it through a computer. He hadn't intended to find out. He and Stanley had been trying to override the lock on the water pump to try and save Eric and April's house. Since then, it was more of those subtle hints and asides. Jake hadn't quite figured out Hawkins but accepted for the moment that he was there to help.

As he finished rigging the line, he shot a look at Hawkins. Again, he had that reassurance that he would help and that he understood the situation. Together they finished rigging the last of the lines to the dynamite. Jake only had one thing left to do and remained where he was as Hawkins joined in getting the people off the bridge. He surveyed around him as his fingers worked from memory.

It was another one of those things that came from those five years he was gone. He was surprised that none of his family and friends questioned closer about the things he knew and said. He was in agreement with Mimi about the secrets of a small town. There really were no secrets. The exceptions were those that were in plain sight and people did nothing about them. Jake learned and did things that he would never be willing to share, and they haunted him. He was distracted with the pressing needs of the town, but in the end, they were still there and what he knew might just help keep Jericho safe.

In major operations, two minutes seemed like a lifetime. In this case, it seemed that it was too short. Jake was just finishing the last of the rigging when Ravenwood's trucks pulled up. He quickly stood up and held his arms out. He made sure that the detonator was in plain sight so they could see that he meant business. He took a couple of deep breaths and stood there, aware that everyone was wondering what he was doing.

He saw the commander of the unit get out and step in front of the lead truck. He swallowed back any fear or nervousness he had declared, "The bridge is wired. You just parked over a couple of pounds of dynamite. Turn your trucks around or I blow it."

There was no preamble but a sound position. Jake was aware that his approach to this situation was vastly different from Sari's. She tried the legal card. She asked for a legitimate claim and even stated that she was unwilling to believe Ravenwood unless she had real proof. It didn't help that they recognized her, and it occurred to Jake that they may have crossed paths at some point. It was odd since he would have remembered seeing her. It was something he wanted to ask but was afraid and he wasn't ready to ask. Right now, he was standing there, ready to show he meant business.

The commander looked at Jake and said, "We're on government orders to collect food and medicine for a refugee camp near the Rogue River."

Jake knew lies when he heard them. That was a blatant lie since he had been there in Rogue River. Not budging, he countered, "Sam government that ordered you to kill all those people in the hospital?"

"It's been a crazy few weeks. A lot of confusion out there."

"Which is why we didn't let you in the last time."

"Which reminds me," the commander said as he adjusted his position, "Where is Captain Hassan? I'm sorry, your sheriff?"

Jake stared at the man. "Sheriff Hassan is taking care of a situation in town." He stood there indicating that he was the one that was left in charge.

"Just step aside, we'll take what we need and be on our way."

Jake knew he had to stall a little and he had to at least show that he was following Sari's move. "Did you bring anything that says you are on government orders?" He pursed his lips and gave a firm look at the man before him.

The commander was clearly annoyed at the situation. Jake could see it on the man's face even though he didn't answer his question. Jake shook his head slightly that clearly indicated that he wasn't going to move; that he was going to blow the bridge. He could feel the tension rising and knew that the men from town were positioned to make a stand if necessary. It was then that Jake saw movement from one of the trucks.

It was more like out of the corner of his eye since his gaze was focused on the commander. He saw the movement and spared a glance downward. He noticed the red dot that was in the middle of his chest. A kill shot, meaning a sniper. He figured that if he resisted they would do what they had to in order to remove the obstacle. Here, it was to kill him before he pulled the trigger on the explosives. He looked at the commander with a narrowed gaze and received a look that said he didn't have a choice.

Jake wasn't one to take defeat lying down. He was the kind to go down swinging when it counted. It was as he told Hawkins, that every choice he made was to protect his family. It was the one thing that they could agree on. He was not going to surrender Jericho without a fight. His response was, "Okay. Go ahead and give the order. If I go, you go."

It was a standoff and Jake was aware that the odds were not in his favor. The commander knew that too despite the fact that Jake's hand was ready on the trigger. You could literally feel the tension between the two sides. Jake just hoped it wouldn't turn out like last time where Sari almost got hit. She had been lucky that she dropped when she did and avoided firing altogether. That was luck. Jake doubted he would have the same as she did.

The commander looked at Jake. He figured the man was serious, but he also figured that he was stalling for time and was going to make things harder. Besides, he didn't see how these people thought they were going to win if a fight broke out between them. He started chuckling.

Jake narrowed his eyes upon hearing the man laugh and demanded, "What? Is something funny?"

"Yeah," the commander replied with a smirk, "This whole thing. You're not going to push that button." He paused to gauge Jake's intention before stepping forward, "Here's how it's going to go. You and you farmer buddies… you stand down, we get back in our vehicles, we drive into town, take what we need and never come back. Nobody has to die."

Jake wanted to scoff at that last remark. He had seen what Ravenwood did to those people in the hospital. They killed the ones too sick to move and the people that would have helped them. They raided the place. These guys were as Sari had called them, miscreants. Jake had a more colorful word or set of words to refer them by, but in this case, he would mentally stick with Sari's definition. He didn't want to die. He knew his mother would never forgive him for this if he had to do it. Yet, he was going to protect her and the rest of Jericho if it came to that.

The shot came from their side, but no one heard it. They just heard the thump of a body dropping. Jake stayed where he was as the Ravenwood guys looked around. It was then that Jake saw the sniper that had been aiming at him. The guy had done a face plant on the roof of the truck. He was dead.

"Man down!"

Jake held his ground and watched as a red targeting light appeared on the chest of the man in front of him. He didn't have to guess to figure out who it was that had the man in his sights. Jake didn't have to tell the commander that he was in someone's sights. Rather, the man followed his gaze to his own chest and spotted the red targeting dot.

Jake knew that the dynamics of this standoff were going to change. He didn't have good odds in the first place and they changed drastically against him when the commander sighed in a bored fashion and signaled his men. Jake watched as Ravenwood operatives climbed out of their vehicles with their weapons. He could hear the shotguns from his side getting ready. It was actually sad. Shotguns weren't going to be much against the assault rifles Ravenwood was packing. That was what he was concerned about when he and Sari argued over whether or not to blow up the bridge.

Now Jake was caught in the middle. He knew that if they started firing, he was going to be the first one hit. And it wasn't just one guy. There were at least sixteen, maybe more aiming. Definitely it wasn't good odds for him. He couldn't run from this, so he stood there, with his hands out and his hand ready on the trigger.

"You're gonna need a lot more snipers, pal," the commander sneered. "And I don't see your sheriff riding to your rescue." He narrowed his eyes at Jake to give him a final warning before they started shooting.

Jake didn't budge. He couldn't. Even if Hawkins got off a few more shots, he would be dead and the rest of the town would be in a firefight that would kill a lot more people. This was what it was like being in between a rock and a hard place and the price would be his life. He was willing to accept this fate even though he didn't want to die. He wasn't going to budge. He would just have to be faster than the guys with the hair-trigger. It was then that he heard it.

It was a roar of an engine. Not just any engine, but a motorcycle engine. Jake swallowed slightly as he heard someone shouting, "We got cars coming!"

The commander heard the noise too and turned to look behind him and his convoy. He didn't have to tell his men twice. They moved into action, getting into positions, but he was focused on the sound that was growing louder by the second and it sounded like it was accelerating. He moved to get a better look to see a motorcycle being followed by a couple of vehicles.

The rider had a helmet on and was armed. The commander blinked when the rider skidded to a stop and pulled out a shotgun and pointed it right at him. The rider held the position as the other vehicles stopped and out spilled men with guns.

Jake stared at the scene and blinked. It was Eric and he brought Jonah and his men. His gaze then centered on the person with the motorcycle. He felt his heart stop as he realized who it was. His breath hitched as Jonah and his men readied their guns and leveled them to fire. It seemed the odds tipped again.

~0~0~0~0~

Sari knew she was short on time when she went to see Jonah Prowse. It was driven home when Eric came barging in to tell them that it was going down. She gritted her teeth since she felt like slapping Jake for going ahead with it. She kept her cool though and looked towards Jonah and queried, "Well? Our bargain?"

Jonah toyed with the idea of teasing her about it, but decided against it. He didn't want to inflict wrath that he was certain was to be directed at someone else. He nodded and turned. Giving a shrill whistle, he yelled for his men to get ready and to bring plenty of ammo. He then turned back at Sari and said, "You ready to make a stand, little girl?"

"I'm not so little anymore," Sari replied as she looked straight on at Jonah. "Are you going to uphold your end, or not?"

Jonah smirked at her, "I'm a man of my word, Sari. You know his." He gestured at himself. "I can't speak for your town, but I know you hold your end of the bargain."

"Then why are we wasting time here?"

Jonah smirked at her and gestured for her to follow him. He didn't entertain the possibility that she wouldn't. She had her pride like everyone else and she knew when to brush all the other stuff aside when it came to what really mattered. He waited until she was within earshot and said, "My guys will bring the truck back to Jericho."

"I am not riding in the same vehicle as you," Sari replied firmly.

"I'm not saying you are," Jonah replied turning to look at her. He had stopped in front of a tarp covered lump. He raised his brow to dare her to speak up. When she didn't, he continued, "What I'm saying is that I think the sheriff of Jericho needs something to make a statement."

"So dropping to the ground and letting a firefight fly over me isn't statement enough?" Sari raised her brow at him, being deliberately glib.

Jonah didn't react much except to smirk at her. He turned and grabbed he tarp and pulled it away saying, "I was thinking this."

Sari shifted to look at her motorcycle. She had left it behind when she went to find Jake after the bombs and didn't think twice about it afterwards. It had always been one thing after another keeping the town together. It shouldn't have surprised her that Jonah would have scavenged it, but it did a little. She looked at Jonah with a raised brow.

"Like I said, the sheriff needs to make a statement," Jonah said, taking in her expression. "Like the Roadster, call it a gift."

Sari looked at Jonah, trying to gauge the sincerity of the 'gift'. Like Jake, she knew Jonah and she was trying to see if there was any duplicity, a hidden motive behind the act. She raised her brow in a silent question.

Jonah read the expression and replied, "It is a gift. Nothing more."

Before Sari could say anything, Eric came running up saying that they needed to get moving and that there wasn't much time until Ravenwood came. She nodded at Eric and turned back towards Jonah and said, "I am holding you to that."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jonah replied with a grin as he pulled out a helmet and held it out to her. He chuckled when she plucked it out of his hands and held it in hers. He added, "By the way, I got you a bigger gun."

Sari snorted at him as he turned to grab his own gun. She shook her head and sighed. This was going to be interesting once it was over. She looked at the bike and turned when her name was called. She raised her hand when a set of keys came flying her way and caught them. She made a face at Jonah when he smirked at her.

There wasn't time to argue. Along with Jonah and his men, Sari steered the bike towards the gate of the compound and found the truck she drove over loaded up. Jonah was getting into the truck Eric drove over and everyone was armed. Looking at one other vehicle, Sari nodded before putting the helmet on. Checking to make sure that the shotgun was strapped on as well as her handgun, she gave the signal and led the way out.

The flare was easy to see once they were on the road and Sari figured that they didn't have a whole lot of time. It would be cutting it closer. It was a risk since gas was now a precious commodity, but she decided that it was worth it. She increased her speed, knowing that they others would follow. She was faster anyway since she was on two wheels and could do things that a truck couldn't.

Tacoma Bridge was dead ahead and she could see the army trucks. She could also see the bridge intact. It looked like Ravenwood just arrived or the town was stalling. She prayed that Jake was doing what he could; she suspected he would do something like that. She wouldn't put it past Hawkins either. In any case, there was still time to save the bridge. She pushed forward even when Ravenwood noticed them. Like she intended to sneak on them.

The foolish thing would have been to charge the line. That was just suicide and it looked like it at the speed she was going. She needed to make a stand. So, she eased on the throttle and prepared to execute her maneuver, which would no doubt impress Jonah. Another thing that he would probably taunt her about the next time they met.

Seeing the guns trained on her, she turned the bike and skidded to a stop. It was something she hadn't really done before and probably something people would see in the movies. The maneuver allowed her to be in a position to move quickly if she had to make a quick getaway and put her in a position to have a clear shot at the commanding officer of the mercenary group. She had her shotgun out and pointed in that direction by the time she came to a complete stop, the motorcycle still running.

It was certainly dramatic looking when Eric caught up with Jonah's men. They spilled out of their vehicles drawing their guns. Jonah came forward deliberately while cocking his shotgun. Sari didn't pay attention to that. Her eyes were on the mercenaries and their leader. She didn't remove her helmet as she eyed them and asked, "What's this town worth to you?"

It was tense as Sari could see Jake standing there on the bridge, arms out with the detonator in his hand. He was smirking at the commander, but she could tell that he didn't expect this but was going to roll with it. She didn't change her position and held it, while looking at the Ravenwood men. The leader turned back towards her and walked towards her group saying, "You know, pretty soon, things are going to start getting back to normal. The government will put itself back together. And they'll be looking to help all you get back on your feet. And you know who they're going to send?"

Sari didn't need to guess. She had dealt with Ravenwood enough to know that they would lie between their teeth. They were the kind to sell their own mother if it were in their interests. The government didn't care. There was no oversight with the PMCs and it let that arrogance breed. She didn't like them and the men and women she worked with didn't like them much either. It may be true that this wasn't the end of Ravenwood. For now though, she was not going to let her town be plundered.

"Me," the Ravenwood commander said, when he got no answer.

Sari held her position. She glanced over at Jake even though no one could see because of the helmet. Her gaze went back to the Ravenwood commander and replied, "And if that day comes, you better have some damn proof, more than _your_ word before I let you back into Jericho."

It was a standoff for a few more seconds as the commander smirked at her. Sari knew that she was a stubborn woman. It had gotten her into trouble more times than she could count. Yet, that stubbornness was what ended up staving off the worst case scenario that could happen, depending on the situation. In this case, it staved off the plundering of town and the blowing up of one of the major ways in or out of Jericho.

In the end, the commander looked at his men and signaled, "Let's go!"

Sari held her shotgun at the ready, but lowered as the Ravenwood guys fell back and crawled back into their vehicles. She watched with a narrowed expression, tracking the mercenaries as they got in to leave. She only moved in order to provide a clear path to let them out. She stayed on her bike, straddling it and watched. To some, it looked like she was bored, but in truth, she was just waiting. Waiting to see if Ravenwood was going to try something. They did have a chain of command, but they were trigger happy idiots.

When the last of the trucks was getting smaller down the highway, she holstered her shotgun and removed her helmet, giving a slight shake of her head to shake her hair free. Placing it on the bike, she got off to walk with Eric and Jonah to meet Jake. She wasn't in a good mood at how things went down and it showed on her face.

"Next time you want to destroy my route into town, I'd appreciate a heads up," Jonah drawled as he rested his shotgun over his shoulder, strolling towards Jake. He looked at Jake and Gray, Jimmy and Bill and back to Jake again. "You're welcome. Really. Don't mention it."

"Thank you, Jonah," Sari said as she glanced at the man, ignoring the look she was getting from Jake.

Jonah smirked at the men and nodded at her before turning away to head back to his compound. He paused after a moment and turned back around, "Can I make a suggestion? Start figuring out how to fight for yourselves. If Eric and Sari hadn't come to get me, you'd all be burying Jake in a shoebox tomorrow."

Sari didn't say anything. She did give a slight nod to Jonah to indicate that their bargain would be kept. She got one of Jonah's proud smirks in return as he turned back to walk go with his guys back to his compound. She shifted slightly when he paused again and turned. She was ready to catch the keys to the truck.

"Like I said, we'd bring it back."

Sari couldn't help but give a slight smirk in return as she held the keys in her hand. She ran her thumb along the cool metal as she turned to face Jake and the others. She lingered on Eric to silently convey that she stood by with him on their decision. She had his back. He nodded to indicate that he had hers, even if she had to jump through some hoops that weren't going to go over completely well, but it was a deal that had to be made and she had the power to do it.

Eric was relieved that the standoff was over, but the issue itself wasn't. It was driven home that if he hadn't gone to get Sari and Jonah, the situation could have turned out vastly different. He didn't regret his decision on this, but a serious discussion was needed and it would need to involve the mayor of Jericho. Taking a breath, he started walking towards town. He barely felt the thankful pat from his brother as he passed Jake.

Sari stayed where she was, watching the men that decided it was a good idea to put this plan into motion. She stared at them with a look that said nothing, but the weight of everything could be felt from that gaze. She noticed Jimmy and Bill shuffling a little uncomfortably from her look. Gray was speechless about what happened and her look was keeping him silent.

She didn't have much to say on the matter and made a gesture more towards Bill and Jimmy to get everyone back to town and clear the bridge. She glanced over at Jake who was looking at her with an expression she had never seen before on him; like he was proud but upset. At least that was what it seemed like to her. There was more, but she couldn't tell and didn't want to try.

"Pretty gutsy more there, Sari," Hawkins said as he walked up as everyone was leaving.

Sari looked at Hawkins and gave a slight movement of her head, "Extreme measures to stave off disaster are pretty gutsy by nature." She glanced over at Jake and then back to Hawkins. "Including turning the tables with a sniper." She gave a slow smile.

Hawkins felt a grin come out and made a face, "And you should know about providing over watch."

"Secrets of a small town," Sari replied. She gestured, "Come on. This isn't over. Let's get back to town." She handed Jake the keys to the truck she used before heading back to where she had put her bike. It was far from over.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ravenwood comes back en mass and Jake makes a stand. Things look dire until help comes from the other direction led by a woman on a motorcycle. Stay tuned for the conclusion of Forces Banding Together...


End file.
